IDIA Scholars Tell Their Stories - A Walk of Shame No More - Karthika Annamalai

Sep 27, 2026

Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA) is a student-led movement that makes legal education accessible to those who need it to combat marginalization. This booklet presents scholars from the movement, sharing empowerment journeys written in the scholars’ own words with minimal editing. The excerpts highlight how legal education can open doors to leading law schools and opportunities, emphasizing resilience, equality, and community support through IDIA’s financial aid and coaching.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time46 min

AccessFree to download

A Walk of Shame No More

Karthika Annamalai

Taking Chances

Namrata Dubey

From the freedom fighters that fought for our nation to the feminists who fought for universal franchise, some of our greatest leaders have exploited a rare set of tools to fight fora better world. These tools lie in the knowledge of the law. Like our forefathers and foremothers, future generations too will be sure to use the armour of legal education to pave the path to creating more equitable societies. Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA) is a student-led movement to make these tools accessible to those who need them to fight the scourge of marginalization. We proudly present to you in this booklet some of the faces of the movement. Each of our scholars have embarked upon a unique journey which entails empowerment through legal education, and this booklet aims to give the reader a glimpse into some of their journeys. This compilation showcases some of the young, promising faces behind the struggles to reshape our future through legal education. Please turn the pages to meet the scholars who have embarked upon the exciting journey to step outside of their communities and have joined the leading law schools of the nation with the hope to make a difference. Try as we may, it remains a daunting task to capture the spirit, tenacity, and leadership qualities of these social transformers. We hope that reading about them will inspire you to spark conversations with them and about their endeavors. The accounts that follow are written in the scholars’own words, and are reproduced here with minimal editing. A WALK OF SHAME NO MORE Karthika Annamalai Karthika is a 5th year B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) student at WB NUJS, Kolkata. She belongs toa community that resides in a village near a stone quarry in Marenahalli Bande, around 3 hours away from Bangalore. I close my eyes to appreciate the smell of wet earth as I tag along barefoot behind my sister. My sister carefully makes her way down the narrow dirt road to fetch water two villages away, and I tumble off. In an effort to balance myself I unknowingly place my right foot on a bush of thorns. The thorns pierce deep into my heel. As I begin to howl from the pain my sister, barely ten years old, runs towards me. She patiently pulls out the thorns making sure she doesn’t miss any and carries me back home. Every time I hear the song my sister hummed while she carried me piggy back I am reminded of how she had to make her way back down that path alone. That road was where people would sneer at us or look condescendingly at our torn clothes and bare feet. Our water pumps had long stopped working and while we kids would dare eachother to feel the hot air spewing out of the pump’s nozzle, the women had to walk past the wealthy towns to an abandoned well downtown. Even as kids, we knew better than to approach the landlords for help – we knew our place in society. Despite the challenges my family and I faced over the years, I became the first high school graduate from my village. I had become aware of the discrimination inflicted on me and my people and I viewed law as an empowering profession to not only enforce my rights but those of my community’s as well. However, I was faced with the uphill task of entering a profession 1 A Journey to Law School untouched by everybody around me. Law school seemed impossible and I was weary of facing hostility in unknown territory. While I looked around for information on law schools in India unaware of the Common Law Aptitude Test and entrance exams to other law schools, IDIA volunteers visited my school and put up a rather entertaining play to introduce law as a career option. While interacting with them for more information, I was offered complete financial aid to pursue my dream! The next one year was a mix of individual coaching sessions and mock tests until the final day arrived. A group of IDIA volunteers cheered for me while I left to write the exam. When a month later I was informed that I made it to law school ranked thi

FAQs

What is IDIA, and what does it aim to do?

IDIA (Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access) is a student-led movement focused on making legal education accessible to people who need tools to fight marginalization.

How did Karthika Annamalai describe her journey to law school?

She described early hardships and discrimination, then support from IDIA volunteers, including coaching and mock tests, leading to success in the entrance process.

What role does IDIA play in the scholars’ experiences in law school?

The text presents IDIA as providing financial aid, guidance, and a sense of belonging that helps scholars navigate challenges and access opportunities.

Sep 27, 2026

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