Niyati Sharma (Photo courtesy of Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education)

Recent University College finalist Niyati Sharma (2024, Law) has been listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia for 2026 in recognition of her social impact.

Niyati Sharma is Founder and Executive Director of the Pratisandhi Foundation, an organisation working in India to provide sex and consent education, safeguarding and empower young people to make informed decisions about their sexual health.

Since starting the Pratishandi Foundation in 2018 at the age of 17, Niyati has worked to tackle taboos surrounding sex education. The organisation has run over 550 workshops and teacher training programmes such as the “Safeguarding Classrooms” course, which trains teachers in advising students on matters related to sexual health and safety. To date, the Pratisandhi Foundation has reached over 15,000 individuals and recently secured ten million rupees (approximately £82,000) to fund school-based consent education programmes in India over the next three years.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Psychology and International Relations at the University of British Columbia, Niyati joined Univ in 2024 on the Senior Status Law programme. She has also previously been recognised for her contribution to social action, receiving the prestigious Diana Award in 2024.

Niyati said, “I’m incredibly honoured to be recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it shines a light on an issue that is still often treated as taboo. While the recognition has my name on it, it really belongs to the hundreds of volunteers, educators, partners, and young changemakers who have built this work alongside me. Studying law at Oxford has challenged me to think more deeply about the systems that shape our lives and has reinforced my belief that lasting change happens when young people are trusted to lead the conversations that affect them.”

Published: 7 July 2026

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