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

I joined teaching around 22 years ago. When I completed my graduation in B. Com, my mother asked me to enrol myself for B.Ed. This eventually pulled me into the teaching profession.

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?

Education is an all-round package. No child can concentrate only on academics. Moreover, the life skills are inculcated only through these extra-curricular activities. They learn teamwork, collaboration, creative and critical thinking through Music, Arts, Dance and Sports.

Determination and perseverance are also learnt through these activities. Self-discipline cannot be ingrained among the children. It can be taught only when the students pursue these activities.

But a proper balance has to be maintained and this thin line has to be drawn by the school. The students have to be taught to focus equally on both.

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

Initialising Clubs: Started the clubs and gave them targets to complete. Initiated the teaching of Warli art and Madhubani art.

SPIC MACAY: Introduced SPIC MACAY in the schools to propagate ART and Culture.

Organised Drawing Competitions and encouraged the students to participate in them.

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?

Most parents understand that marks do not matter but an overall development does.  It takes time and energy to pursue these arts. With patience the children develop some skills.

Parents agree only when they see good results. If the arts are taught with dedication and the skills can be seen among the children, the parents agree to everything being done.

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

As we have examinations in academics, similarly there should be an examination for these activities and promotion should be on the basis of clearance of these examinations.

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

My institution is a new one. So many accomplishments are not achieved. The children cleared district level and reached the state level in some of the sports activities.

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

I do not sing but yes listen to music to ease out stress from life. Also, I practice yoga and exercise every day to keep myself fit.

Any other thoughts you may want to share.

There is an urgent need to spread Indian culture and that can be done very well with inculcating a love for these activities.

Schools are the best institutions to teach these and they must come forward to do their part.

Schools must encourage the performance of artists to help spread the information about the culture of India.