When and why did you decide to take up education as your career?

I joined  engineering in 1983 and since then I  was interested in teaching. During my college days I was also taking home tuitions . That’s when I realised that  teaching was my passion and this is what I wanted to pursue.

As an educationalist, you are touching many human lives directly. Do you think educational institutions can play a significant role in overall development of students by encouraging them to take up co-curricular interests like Music, Art, Dance or Sports?

One cannot put their 100% only in studies.  MAD, sports, and other activities help in the development of a student in different ways in terms of soft skills and life skills. This is what is required to survive in the outside environment. Each student can decide which activity to choose and start getting involved in it. I always encourage students to take up activities in terms of alternate hobbies making them enjoy what they’re doing on a daily basis.

What are some of the most important initiatives related to co-curricular that you have taken in the institutions you have served?

I believe there are hobbies and regular activities which can be done on a daily basis or may be on a once a weekly basis in which a student can participate and get recognition for his/her talent. We have inter college festivals but once a week there must be a day when all can come together and play some games. Instead of online games there has to be human sized boards where students can play and interact with each other. We do have such initiatives where students play on human sized boards on campus.

In the days when most people measure success only by academic score, how would you convey to the parents of your students that co-curricular education is not something to be looked down upon?

We need to convince parents again and again about importance of co-curricular activities because for them marks and grades is all that matters. Unfortunately this is the typical Indian mentality. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses so the strengths should be found out and polished. This can be done jointly by parents and teachers altogether. Parents must be conscious enough to understand that there is something beyond that their children like so by not comparing him/her with other children, parents must encourage them to pursue their interests.

If you were to suggest one major change in perspective of co-curricular education, what would that be?

I would say that typically in engineering colleges, co-curricular activities is a part of  festivals. There is nothing in between so there must be some activities organised on a regular basis. This is the big change required.

Please let us know about some key achievements of your institution and/or your student(s) in MADS at national/international level?

Our students have done well in state level competitions. Dance and other MADS activities have not been into major focus as there are small groups doing these activities because students’ major focus is on studies from Monday to Saturdays.

What are your personal interests in Music, Art, Dance or Sports and how do you continue to pursue them?

I actually do not spend time specific time on these activities because my most of the time is occupied in counselling, mentoring and coaching students. As a person I have never been able to take out time unfortunately to make these into a hobby.

Any other thoughts you may want to share.

There is a big change required in the thought processes of parents and teachers as well. Parents should look at students as an individual and not to compare them. Teachers should look towards the strength and abilities of students and not consider a whole classroom as one single level of teaching. Both: parents and students should encourage and appreciate what their children do beyond curriculum.