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

It was in 1987 when I started teaching Chemistry in a school and my only mission was to do something to transform the students’ life. To some extent I am successful as recently I came to know about my student who has become an IFS officer (Indian Foreign Services) who is at Geneva now. It gives us a good pleasure when our students do something good overseas. It has been 32 years since I have been serving into education.

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?

Co-curricular activities build immense confidence to the present generation. Confidence and communication are the two ‘Cs’ required for a person to grow as an entrepreneur and achieve great things in life. That can be done only though getting involved in performing arts like drama, one act plays debate and sports. Even CBSE and UGC has put lots of emphasis on these activities.

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

Every week we ask students to prepare 5 random topics in 3 to 5 minutes and speak on it. This is how we are building them up. We also conduct group discussion sessions as well. We are training managers for MBA. We give them different situation to initiate and react because whole life is based on such activities and it ensures that they don’t fail when they actually come across such situations. Once in a week we make them do Yoga. We conducted special coaching for self-defence for girls as well.

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?

Nowadays I agree that parents are forcing children for 99 percentiles. Even if a child scores 90% and becomes a doctor or engineer but s/he lacks communication skills then it becomes very difficult for him/her to function properly. Hence if someone comes up with great teamwork, confidence and communication skills then that person will surely be successful.
People who have good confidence and communication do really well even if they don’t have a degree. Kapil Sharma is the best example. He has done a simple graduation, but he has become a millionaire because of his confidence and communication skills. It is not necessary that with only education that you will excel. It is amalgamation of knowledge, organising ability, physical and mental ability and of course a little bit of humour that counts to be a successful individual.

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

There used to be Saturdays as a half day for co-curricular activities but the pressure of other subjects like physics, chemistry and biology have increased so much that there are no more Saturdays kept aside for co-curricular activities. I guess this should not happen and there has to be an equal time slot given for cocurricular activities as well.

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

Our institute has won trophy in fine arts festival. We were top 11 amongst the 22 participants. Thereafter when 11 were the top finalists, my students stood top 5.

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

I have been doing theatre since 1982. Whenever I get time, I associate with people practising theatre. Many a times I play basketball and badminton, do lots of walking and yoga. I was even associated with Bharitya Yog Sansthan.

Any other thoughts you may want to share.

It is a very good opportunity you have given me to put forth my views about the betterment of students through co-curricular activities to help them grow in all levels. This country can do wonders in coming years. Youth can surely make the country progress and proud. At the end, I appreciate that your organisation is investing so much time on resources to make curricular activities as a backbone of education. Yes, it is only education that can help evolve the human resources for stabilization and bring miracles in wellbeing of the people.