What if the greatest barrier to equality is hiding in plain sight—in our textbooks, homes, and minds?
In this powerful and unflinching talk, Saumya Sheth challenges the silent biases that shape India’s education system through the lens of caste. With honesty and empathy, she explores how real change begins—not just with policy, but with perspective. Saumya is a 17-year-old student, social worker, writer, and above all, an optimist who believes change in this challenging world is possible. Committed to creating equitable opportunities, she balances academics with advocating for marginalized communities through her NGO, Sahayta Square. As a YRSI research scholar, she realised that dismantling entrenched belief systems and societal structures requires change from the very root, achievable most effectively through education. With a fierce passion for law, climate justice, and storytelling, Saumya envisions an energetic youth driven by knowledge and empathy. She wishes to use the TEDx platform to encourage the audience to critically confront and rethink internalised beliefs, and take compassion-driven action. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
More from TED
- 5:42Unplugging To Reclaim Your Life | Mia Lalova | TEDxYouth@AASSofiaThe extent to which we willing give ourselves over to surveillance. And how life can feel when we take time to unplug ourselves from the digital world. Unplugging To Reclaim Your Life This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 12:46Problems With Humans | Nikolay Grigorov | TEDxYouth@AASSofiaIn a world that worries about the introduction of AI, a fundamental problem with humans might actually be their saving grace. Problems With Humans This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 11:06You Are A Character, Not A Person | Ryo Fox | TEDxYouth@AASSofiaDoes life imitate art, or does art imitate life? The extent to which we perpetuate social stereotypes, the effects they can have, and what we can do about them. You Are A Character, Not A Person This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 13:54Curare per interrompere i sistemi di oppressione | Andi Ngaso | TEDxPisogneNato in un sistema di oppressione, figlio di una frattura e di una migrazione continua. Andi Nganso, speaker di TEDxPisogne, porta sul palco una voce che attraversa sofferenze. Sbarcato in Italia nel 2006, si è trovato in un sistema dove la cittadinanza è un privilegio. E allora viene da chiedersi: come si fa a parlare di eredità, se la tua identità non viene riconosciuta? La sua risposta è rivoluzionaria: scegliere la cura. Curare significa interrompere il sistema e rendere la cura collettiva uno strumento di resistenza. Andi Nganso è un medico, imprenditore e narratore di mondi. È nato in Camerun, è cresciuto tra migrazioni e sogni, e oggi vive in Italia, dove cura corpi, idee e comunità. Da anni si muove tra ospedali, frontiere e festival culturali, cercando di restituire dignità a ciò che spesso viene ignorato: le storie. È Medico di urgenza emergenza e esperto di salute globale. È volontario della Croce Rossa Italiana, con cui lavora in contesti di emergenza sanitaria e cooperazione internazionale. Ma è anche il fondatore del Festival DiverCity, una piattaforma che intreccia arte, design, decolonizzazione e giustizia sociale. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 11:09How Football Can Change Your Life | Gregorio Matas Montes & Rastko Mudrinic | TEDxYouth@AASSofiaThe physical and psychological benefits of active engagement with sports, focusing on football as a means of developing the self in a range of ways. How Football Can Change Your LifeHow Football Can Change Your Life This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 6:33The Other Side Of Video Games | David Reynolds | TEDxYouth@AASSofiaA manifesto to challenge perceptions of gaming as being detrimental to youth development, and providing a solution to keep all parties happy. The Other Side Of Video Games This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
