United Nations General Assembly
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THE SECRETARIAT
Teesta Bhattacharya
Secretary-General
“Words are never ‘only words’; they matter because they define the contours of what we can do.”
~ Slavoj Žižek
The Secretary-General for HFSMUN 2023, Teesta Bhattacharya, is the most jubilant and stoic (not to forget, fashionable!) person you will ever come across. She can best be described as someone ambitious, extroverted and a die-hard Scuderia Ferrari fan. A history and political science geek, our Secretary General would like to make this year’s conference the biggest and best HFSMUN ever, emphasising diversity and equality.
A literature aficionado (and the Head of the Literary Club at HFS), Teesta holds a special place in her heart for Slavoj Žižek’s works, however, her personality would be incomplete if we didn’t mention her first love, dancing, with over 12 years of experience in numerous dance styles such as Kathak, Bachata and Hip-Hop.
A born and bred HFS MUNner, she strives to ensure that this year's conference is both efficient and of high quality. She remembers her first time chairing at HFSMUN and how bright and enthusiastic the delegates were, deepening her love for MUNning.
Although Teesta spends a questionable amount of time watching anime and Formula One, we can assure you she will leave no stone unturned to make this year’s HFSMUN (or as she likes to describe it - “her baby”), an absolute success.
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
~ Wayne Dyer
Our Director General for HFSMUN 2023, Maanya Lal, is amiable, tenacious and optimistic. She hopes for the conference to be an extraordinary experience– with interesting and out-of-the-box committees and agendas for delegates to enjoy and an extremely hard-working Secretariat and Executive Board running operations as smoothly as possible. Her outgoing personality, high emotional intelligence and stellar interpersonal skills make her a leader we are eager to follow.
Maanya has a loud presence, an endearing quality, pronounced by her tendency to narrate never-ending stories, to hit people when laughing, and unique quirks like eating peanut butter straight out of the jar… ( we swear we are not judging).
In grim circumstances, Maanya’s light shines through by way of her ability to see the silver lining in every situation, a quality she has spent years refining. She is an old soul who finds absolute bliss with a cup of tea in hand. She personifies the fine balance between being accepting but also uncompromising, believing that imperfections are what make life perfect and though it may come with its own set of obstacles, the destination is something that should not be undermined.
Maanya Lal
Director-General
Mihir Mahadevan
Charge D'affaires
“I think we all should be challenging ourselves to create our own masterpiece in some way, shape or form, and mine's not finished.”
~ Lewis Hamilton
Our Charge D’Affaires for HFSMUN 2023, Mihir Mahadevan is a jovial and logical leader. Although he may tower over you in corridors, don’t let his height obscure how approachable he is. His vision for the conference this year involves many targets, including seeing a huge number of delegates attend and enjoy the MUN. The aim is to create an enriching learning experience with high-quality debate whilst also ensuring that every delegate has fun. Hoping to live up to the high standards set by previous editions of the conference, Mihir endeavours to facilitate the growth of MUN, making it even more expansive.
His first MUN was rough, having misunderstood the concept and coming under-prepared. However, by the end of the first session, he had gotten the hang of it and managed to get recognised as well! Naturally, his advice for first-time MUNners is to be confident and familiar with the workings of the conference. More importantly, when in doubt, do not hesitate to approach the chair.
Besides MUNs, Formula 1 and cars get him thrilled. The sound of a naturally aspirated V10 engine is music to his ears. Being fond of history, computers and world affairs, he is a multifaceted individual making him best suited to organise an event that is an amalgamation of varied interests with a multiplicity of individuals.
“For sure, sometimes I don't know what I am doing.”
~ Kimi Raikkonen
(...but our Head of Organising Committee sure does! )
Haard Sanghvi has always been one to approach life with a practical mindset. His knack for making others laugh and pushing through challenges with determination makes him apt to be this year’s Head of the Organising Department!
He sees MUNs as an opportunity for personal growth and to help others learn the ropes of the activity. With his sense of humour, he can ease the tension of high-pressure situations while remaining focused on the task at hand.
When he isn’t MUNning, Haard finds solace in playing his drums or listening to music from any genre - be it hip-hop, jazz or rock. He has a particular fascination for Joji and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (yes, that’s a real artist).
With the open-mindedness and creativity Haard possesses, we couldn’t think of anyone more appropriate to lead the Organising Committee and assure you, you’re in for a blast this HFSMUN.
Haard Sanghvi
Head of Organising Committee
Shloka Shetty
Under-Secretary-General
“Destiny is for losers, the rest just go out and make it happen.”
~ Harvey Specter
Approachable, detail-oriented and confident, Shloka Shetty, our Undersecretary General for HFSMUN 2023 is a maestro at organising events and our go-to person for remediating the headaches of the planning process. Her goal for this year’s MUN is to make it a more versatile platform, aspiring to establish a delicate balance of a beginner-friendly conference that also caters to experienced MUNners, offering healthy competition.
At her first MUN, it is no surprise that she was a logistics member and describes her experience as “bittersweet” and yet she would jump at the chance to do it all over again. Even when she is running around and getting things done to perfection, her grace, attributed to her passion for dance, is reflected in the way she carries herself. If there’s ever a heist, make sure to have her on your team because she knows the ins and outs of Meluha like the back of her hand.
Shloka trusts her instincts about people completely and you would do well to be on her good side. As a workaholic and perfectionist, who has been a Mumbai socialite for most of her life, she likes to spend her time only doing things that bring her joy. Given her mastermind-like skills and ability to cancel out the noise, we have faith in her ability to handle the responsibility of making this edition of HFSMUN a great one.
“To the degree that we deny the gift of life, we embrace death”
~ Maxwell Maltz
Our Under Secretary General, Mahika Ragunathan, personifies friendliness, collaboration and open-mindedness. Despite her quiet demeanour, Mahika possesses an innate ability to be involved in and give her absolute best in anything she chooses to pursue- and this year that pursuit is HFSMUN! She aspires to see every delegate enjoy the conference and engage in a healthy and respectful debate. She encourages first-timers not to be scared of embarrassing themselves and just go with the flow on the day of the event.
Mahika recollects her first time as a MUNner with sweaty hands and scratchy throat but believes they are a great opportunity to improve public speaking and social skills as well as discover a new side of oneself.
While she tends to speak only when spoken to, she always offers productive input during meetings. And if you happen to bring up anything related to animals (particularly snakes), well...
In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing and is also the Head of the Literary Club at HFS. Mahika is a talented musician, playing both the piano and violin, and a graceful ballet dancer. Her attention to detail and organizational skills make her the perfect person to guide this year's HFSMUN
Mahika Raghunathan
Under-Secretary-General
Shivanshi Singh
Under-Secretary-General
"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it"
~ Arthur L Williams
Born with a keen eye for practicality, a knack for organization, and a sharp wit, our Under Secretary General, Shivanshi Singh, has always been a force to be reckoned with. With a passion for debating and MUNs, she aims to make the process as smooth sailing as possible for all delegates. She possesses a desire to captivate and intrigue beginners and ensures that they are hooked to the world of debating from day one.
Shivanshi is easily noticeable amidst a crowd - just look for the person who accidentally blurts out “Whoopsie” (even in the most serious situations) leaving those around her amused and entertained.
Her childlike enthusiasm for Star Wars and Percy Jackson aligns with her fascination for fantasy and mystery novels, with a sweet spot for ‘The Book Thief’ in her heart. Alongside her love for books, she unleashes her creativity by playing a variety of instruments ranging from the Guitar and Keyboard to the Ukulele!
For delegates participating in MUNs, Shivanshi offers sage advice: do not get daunted by the procedures involved and remember that, at its core, MUNs are a platform to voice varying opinions on global issues and encourage peace and cooperation. With her practical and driven nature, Shivanshi is sure to make a positive impact in all that she sets her mind to (including the million amazing doodles at the back of her iPad!).
"Look
If you had one shot or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip? "
~Eminem
Besides being ambitious and confident, Meeth Parikh, our Undersecretary General for HFSMUN 2023, is known for his charismatic personality that few can resist and his unmatched work ethic. He hopes to yield the best possible outcome from HFSMUN in all possible measures, a goal he is appropriately suited to achieve, given that his fellow secretariat members describe him as “a very sorted guy who knows exactly what the MUN needs and takes a strong stand for his convictions.”
Finance, Formula One and Football fascinate him. Along with his tendency to alliterate, his nerdiness is further elucidated by his liking of chess. Challenge him to a game and see yourself lose!
Although he can only play the acoustic guitar, the thrill of the electric guitar is not lost on him. He enjoys karaoke and he has a beautiful singing voice, though it occasionally cracks (which he may not appreciate being reminded of).
At his first MUN, Meeth represented Israel in UNHRC implying that he is well-acquainted with a dramatic MUN committee and prefers his current position as Under Secretary General much better (as do we!).
Meet Parikh
Under-Secretary-General