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BW EDUCATION MAY 2022 1 ‘I STARTED
WITH 12

STUDENTS’

JC Chaudhry, Founder of Aakash
Educational Services, on the driving
force behind the institute, its growth

in the last 25 years, the merger
with Byju’s, and importance of

intrapersonal skills
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Also: BUDGET-2022: Does it provide impetus to employability? NEP-2020: Success lies in details of execution

MAY 2022 www.bweducation.com

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S NOTE

QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE

ANNURAG BATRA Covid cases are on the decline and educational institutions have reopened
physical classes, but the discourse over the benefits — and drawbacks— of
 [email protected] online education will continue. The lessons imbibed during the Covid will
continue to be put to use in teaching-learning experience, even by academics
who were earlier averse to technology. In this issue of BW Education, leaders
in the field of education put the spotlight on these learnings.

IIM-Bangalore Director Rishikesha T Krishnan discusses how the
pandemic and lockdown amplified the need for new skills and re-skilling
among faculty, managing risks during crisis time and greater collaboration
between educational institutes. Similarly, IIM-Shillong Director Dharam
Paul Goyal emphasises that it is essential to have a backup online learning
system for future. Experts in the ed-tech field, featured in the columns and
interviews in this issue, provide their experiences, and data, to show how end
users, including students, teachers and even working professionals, used online
tools for seamless education, skill upgradation, and courses in empathy and
mindfulness.

Transcending Covid crisis, the quest of several education providers for
excellence has led to their making it to the top of the echelon time and again.
In the B-School Rankings in this issue, we find that the top league institutes
(especially IIM-A, B and C) continue to deliver on quality, but several new-age
institutes, including private B-schools, are vying to climb up. In this issue,
we also bring to you the top ‘40 under 40’ innovators, change-makers and
disruptors, who are making a positive dent in the society. We also feature the
‘Most Influential Women’, who are working for education and empowerment
of all.

One educator who has worked tirelessly for 25 years in the educational quest
is JC Chaudhry, founder of Aakash Educational Services, who can take pride in
having placed thousands of aspirants in their choice college. Speaking to BW
Education, he shares how he started out and the course he has charted, what
are his thoughts on education and what is needed to succeed. Speaking from the
hindsight of a successful edu-preneurial journey, he is in ideal position to talk
about the importance of intrapersonal skills, and the need for keeping oneself
motivated in the face of low phases. Read our Cover Interview in this issue.

Also enriching the issue are our insights on Budget-2022, and how it will help
fuel the plans envisaged in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020; and a
take on why Indian educational institutes continue to figure low in the global
rankings, and the panacea for this situation.

Happy Reading!

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MAY 2022 www.bweducation.com

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BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0A2Y228022 8 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

BW EDUCATION MAY 2022 9 WWW.BWEDUCATION.COM

CONTENTS MAY 2022
24
COVER INTERVIEW
JC Chaudhry walks down the path
he has followed since becoming an
educator, the launch of Aakash and
merger with Byju’s

Photograph by Ritesh Sharma

33 150 170

BW EDUCATION 40 UNDER DISCOURSE BW WEBINAR
40 SUMMIT AND AWARDS
Academics share their perspectives on ‘De- Divya Gokulnath, Co-Founder & Director,
Honouring the trailblazers under 40 who livering Job Relevant Education Can Help Byju’s, speaks about the advantages of tech
are disruptors, innovators, change-makers Universities Achieve The Greater Good’, at tools, at BW Dialogue on Leadership
and value creators, contributing to the a BW Education Dialogue
society in their own unique ways 174
154
82 LAST WORD
CAMPUS PROFILE
MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IIM-Bangalore Director Rishikesha T Krish-
How Chitkara University Institute of nan discusses the shift that B-schools will
BW Education recognises the stellar role Engineering & Technology gives equal have to make to the students future-ready
that 15 of the selected women have played emphasis to research, innovation and skill
in education and empowerment — as a development In-Conversation
minister, as heads of institutes and schools,
as counsellors, and other roles 156 153: DHARAM PAUL GOYAL

98 FRIDAY FOCUS Director, IIM-Shillong, shares the efforts that the
institute put in during Covid to make the smooth
B-SCHOOL RANKINGS Covid cases are on the ebb but lessons functioning of classes in online mode possible
learnt in online mode can continue to
Unravelling the top league of management be used for enhanced teaching-learning
schools, and how do the big A, B and C make process, feel academics
it to the pinnacle time and again
158
146
SPOTLIGHT: NEP-2020
PANEL DISCUSSION
While the intent of the policy to transform
BW Businessworld, in partnership with is right, the key to success is in proper
Dell Technologies, engages in a dialogue on execution
‘Driving Innovation and Student Success’.

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0A2Y2210202 10 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

78 148: KALPESH BANKER

BUDGET-2022 on new categories of recruiters that B-schools
are inviting for placements
Providing impetus to NEP-2020, skills,
employment and holistic development 163: RAKESH KHARWAL

for the need for better cyber security

164: RUSTOM KERAWALLA

on the need for increased spending on
education

166: VINAY SHARMA

on the changing education landscape and its
democratisation

168: VINESH MENON

on the two game-changers — NEP-2020 and
Covid-19

172: ANAND MAHESHWARI

on components of effective online education

161: NITIN JAIN Columns

OnCourse Vantage Co-Founder Nitin Jain, on 16: SWARAN SINGH
the need to stay away for a while
on the need to take benefits of quality
162: OM PATHAK education to rural students

Chairman , DPSG Society, on the need to roll 18: AAKASH SETHI
out NEP-2020 in true letter and spirit
on the efforts required for online classes...

20: PRANEET AGARWAL

on the possibility of self-paced experiences in
online mode

30: KUMAR GAURAV

on why top ranks elude Indian institutes in
global rankings

Covers design by DINESH S. BANDUNI Total No. of pages (including cover) 200 Photograph by Umesh Goswami
Cover photograph by RITESH SHARMA Covers design by Dinesh S. Banduni
Total No. of Pages Including Cover 176
WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM
BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMAMYA2Y0220222111

NEWS
GOVT IMPETUS TO NEW
TECHNOLOGY IN AGRI-RESEARCH

Photographs by PIB ICAR has created multidisciplinary research complexes in differ-
ent regions of the country to address this, informs Union Minister
T he Central Government Narendra Singh Tomar
during 2020-21 and
2021-22 has allocated Tomar said that the government (FPOs) to improve their bargaining
funds to the tune of Rs also allocated Rs 7,302.50 and Rs power. Development of infrastructure
1756.3 and Rs 2422.7 crore to states 7,908.18 crore in 2020-21 and 2021- has also been given due attention to
for introducing new technologies, 22 respectively to the Indian Council ensure better connectivity of farm-
including drones, artificial intelli- of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for ers to the national and international
gence, remote sensing in agriculture, undertaking research and develop- market,” Tomar said in the reply.
said Union Minister of Agriculture ment for developing new technolo-
and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh gies, their demonstration at farmer’s Required emphasis is given by
Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha. field and capacity building of farmers ICAR to shift research from a com-
for adoption of new technology. modity-based to farming systems-
based approach. ICAR has created
During 2021-22, ICAR has de- multidisciplinary research complexes
veloped and released 309 varieties in different regions of the country to
and hybrids of field crops including address this, he said.
35 varieties with special traits and 94
varieties of horticultural crops for cul- A dedicated Institute — ICAR-
tivation by ICAR. Indian Institute of Farming Systems
Research (IIFSR), Modipuram — is
“The government also accords working on characterising, creating,
adequate emphasis towards reduc- studying and refining the farming sys-
ing transaction costs, promotion tem models in all the agro-climatic
of Farmer Producer Organisations regions, as per the minister.

IBM ‘STEM FOR GIRLS’ IN
NAGALAND
The programme aims to provide 21st-century skills to more than
Photographs by HJBC
12,000 girls across 250-plus secondary and higher secondary

Ischools career skills. The collaboration is part a programme that includes online
BM announced a collabora- of a three-year programme between coursework and tools to engage with
tion with the Department of IBM and Nagaland State Govern- students.
School Education, Nagaland ment, with the QUEST Alliance and
to introduce the IBM STEM The programme will also involve
for Girls programme in more than YouthNetasanimplementationpart- teachers in co-creating relevant edu-
cation materials to progress computa-
250 secondary and higher secondary ner, to increase the participation of tional thinking and 21st-century skills
development at secondary and higher
schoolsacross15districtsintheState. girl children and women in STEM secondary school levels. The partner-
ship will support stronger knowledge
The curriculum will align with careers. development and training in technol-
ogy and help students make informed
and supplement the state’s efforts The programme will also aim to career decisions through the IBM
Mentors programme.
towards quality education. This pro- empowernearly1,400teachersinthe

gramme will help enable more than participating schools to engage and

12,000 girls studying between VII- & train students on computational

Ith to Xth grade with access to digital thinking, STEM, and agency devel-

fluency, coding skills training, and opment for girls. Educators will use

21st-century skills, including life and IBM SkillsBuild (skillsbuild.org),

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h1- A2pril 2022 12 Photographs by HJBC WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

UGC TO BRING FRESH NORMS &
WORK ETHICS TO VARSITIES
UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar has confirmed the
introduction of new guidelines for universities

Photographs by UGC F ollowing the National Kumar stated through a tweet, “UGC students.
Education Policy (NEP) will soon be posting the guidelines on Student participation in various
2020 and the Common the above for stakeholder feedback.
University Entrance This is an equally important reform government social programmes and
Test, UGC Chairman M Jagadesh and awareness needs to be created on engagement with non-government
Kumar has now confirmed the intro- this.” The revised guidelines are yet and social organisations is also en-
duction of new guidelines for univer- to be officially released by the com- couraged in the draft. In the revised
sities. mission. version, students are taught multi-
ple moral lessons to be followed in
Reports also claim that UGC has school, at home, and in public spac-
approved the revised guidelines of es. Additionally, it asks teachers to
‘Mulya Pravah - Inculcation of Hu- be role models and lead by example.
man Values and Professional Eth- The guidelines have been revised in
ics’ on March 10. The revised guide- accordance with NEP 2020, which
lines advise all universities to begin emphasises promoting the funda-
providing a foundation course for mental and constitutional obliga-
undergraduates on human values tions among students so that they
and professional ethics, as well as an become aware of and responsible for
advanced course for post-graduate their nation.

BHARAT ED-TECH INITIATIVE FOR 9-17 (Grade 1-12) from low-income
DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN households with monthly incomes
up to Rs 25,000. Through various
The initiative to bridge learning loss for economically underprivileged initiatives like the HardWare Pilot
that provides dedicated learning de-
students will impact over 117,000 first-generation digital learners vices to students, BEI is ensuring that
T he Bharat Ed-Tech Ini- students have the tools to improve
tiative (BEI) has suc- poverty globally post the pandemic. learning levels.
cessfully on-boarded The prolonged school closures and
poor results in learning have largely BEI’s approach to bridging the
digital divide is uniquely positioned
117,000 students from contributed to this rise. BEI aims to to impact results at scale across India.
The approach uses a unique blend of
underprivileged families on their ed- bridge these learning losses by mak- access, engagement, measurement,
and learning.
tech platform as part of their mission ing digital learning accessible to all
The initiative is a collaboration of
to bridge the learning loss. Through students across India through proven 36 partner organisations across phi-
lanthropy, social impact, ed-tech, fi-
effective, equitable access to ed-tech, ed-tech solutions. nance, and monitoring & evaluation.
These organisations support the BEI
the initiative is supporting students This nationwide initiative is in several capacities and categories,
such as fund-raising, educational
with the necessary tools to bridge the steered by four organisations that of- technologies, nonprofit organisa-
tions, monitoring and evaluation,
learning losses of the last two years as fer strategic guidance on the overall financial management, marketing
communications, and programme
they go back to school in April 2022. management and execution of the management.

These results have been achieved Initiative. Sattva Consulting is the

across 10 states within 5 months of in- lead anchor of the initiative. The Mi-

itiating on-ground efforts. Students chael & Susan Dell Foundation and

have the flexibility to learn anytime British Asian Trust are lead donors,

and anywhere in a language of their while GiveIndia supports with donor

choice (9 languages). relationships and fund management.

As per the World Bank, 70 per BEI is focusing on bridging the

cent of children are living in learning learning losses for students aged

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrcAhY-2A0p2r2il 210322 13 WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM

NEWS
VP LAUDS INDIA’S PROGRESS IN
LITERACY, GENDER PARITY

Venkaiah Naidu stresses that Indian historical figures must be cherished and celebrated and their
stories must be included in the school curriculum

Photographs by PIBVICE PRESIDENT M dressing the widening digital divide. the opening up of new avenues of
Photographs by CATHERINEL-PRODVENKAIAH NAIDULauding the contribution ofemployment to the country’s youth.
called for harnessing “We must make education more
technology to enhance teachers in the country in ensuring integrated, multi-disciplinary and
continuity of learning during the relevant,” the Vice President added.
access and quality of learning. He pandemic, Naidu said that they kept
the learning process alive by swiftly Naidu said that education must
called for exploring the new possi- shifting to an online mode. become an instrument of national
transformation. He said that educa-
bilities in technology while also ad- “They had kept the learner at the tion should help build citizens who
centre of their noble mission and are perceptive, receptive and com-
minimised the learning losses,” he municative, who are thinking and
added. feeling individuals, who have the
passion for acquiring knowledge as
Referring to the National Educa- well as the compassion to use that
tion Policy (NEP 2020) as a blue- knowledge for making the world a
print to transform the education more liveable place.
landscape in India, Naidu stressed
the need for holistic education and

FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING
STUDY BY MoE

Initiative launched to understand learning levels at foundational

learning stage, aims to set-up benchmarks for reading compre-

hension in 22 Indian languages study are as follows:
 Toconductalarge-scaleassessment
T he Ministry of Educa- of the foundational learning of grade
tion (MoE) will be con- III students to establish a baseline for
ducting a ‘foundational
learning study’ in order
to draw a first-hand understanding the ‘NationalInitiativeforProficiency

of the learning levels of the students in Reading with Understanding and

at the foundational learning stage, Numeracy’ (Nipun Bharat) mission sequent learning experiences more
meaningful and absorbing. While
placed at the end of Grade III. The  To establish reading proficiency the dimensions of learning can be
manifold, the basic ability of reading
study is first of its kind in the world benchmarks for fluency, with com- with comprehension, writing and an
understanding of the basic numeracy
as it aims to set up benchmarks for prehension for each of the languages concepts (such as numbers, patterns
etc.) relate to core learning goals
reading with comprehension in 22 being assessed under the study at the foundational stage. MoE has
launched the Nipun-Bharat Mission
Indian languages. The Foundational  To provide the data for Sustainable to provide the roadmap for strength-
ening the domain of foundational
Learning Study will be conducted by Development Goals 4.1.1. (Covering learning at the national level.

the NCERT in all States and Union aspects of foundational literacy and

Territoriesoverawindowoffourdays. numeracy)

Approximately, 10,000 schools and Focusing on ‘learning achieve-

1 lakh students are expected to par- ment’inthefoundationalyearsisper-

ticipate in this study. The specific ob- tinentinordertoprovidethelearners

jectives of the foundational learning with capabilities to make their sub-

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h1- A4pril 2022 14 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

SCOPE OF NISHTHA EXPANDED

The initiative is aimed at equipping teachers with digital tools and covers 24 lakh educators

Photographs by LAKSHMI PRASAD T he Department of elementary teachers was launched and numeracy under NISHTHA 3.0
School Education and on October 6, 2020 by NCERT on online on DIKSHA portal.
Literacy has digitised the DIKSHA platform. The plat-
its National Initiative form has around 24 lakh teachers CIET- NCERT initiated a we-
and school heads who are covered binar series focusing on orienting
for School Heads and Teachers’ Ho- under this. teachers, students and other stake-
holders on various ICT tools, digital
listic Advancement (NISHTHA) In 2021-22, NISHTHA online initiatives at national level, emerg-
has been extended to Secondary level ing trends in educational technol-
an integrated teacher training pro- (NISHTHA 2.0) and Foundational ogy, cyber safety and security. A
Literacy and Numeracy (NISHTHA variety of sessions in English and
gramme. NISHTHA-online for 3.0) for Secondary, Pre-primary & Hindi have been conducted live,
Primary respectively, with focus on which are simulcast on NCERT of-
improvement in quality of teachers ficial Youtube Channel as well as 12
and learning outcomes of students. PMeVIDYA DTH TV Channels and
Jio TV mobile App. Till date, nearly
NCERT has developed a package 540 live sessions of one-hour dura-
including 12 generic modules and 56 tion each have been organised on
subject-specific modules for NISH- ICT tools for teaching learning and
THA 2.0 (Secondary Level) and 12 assessment.
modules for foundational literacy

JAMIA, AMU TAKE FINAL
CALL ON CUET

UGC has announced that all central universities must implement

A Central University Common Entrance Exam

Photographs by SHIBU

s central universities ever, UGC chairman M Jagadesh Ku-
across the country be- mar has made it clear that all central
gin the implementa- universities will have to implement
tion of the Common CUET for admission beginning from

University Entrance Test (CUET) the academic year 2022-23.

proposed by Universities Grant Com- As per existing university norms,

mission (UGC), Jamia Millia Islamia the Union ministry of education has

(JMI) and Aligarh Muslim University conveyed to AMU that the CUET will

(AMU) take a final call on the matter. not prevent the university from ad-

Both institutes have formed com- mitting students of its choice.

mittees to for the common entrance For eight UG courses, Jamia will

exam and state that they are await- admit students through CUET. Ac-

ing for further instructions from the cording to past practice, it will hold

UGC. admissions to the remaining courses

AMU had stated that it will not through its own entrance exams. the first week of April. The entrance

be implementing CUET as a court The registration process for the test will be conducted for admission

case regarding its minority status is Central University Common En- into undergraduate courses in 45

pending in the Supreme Court. How- trance Test (CUET) is set to begin in universities across India.

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrcAhY-2A0p2r2il 210522 15 WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM

Column SWARANSINGH

“RURAL STUDENTS
NEED FACILITIES,
RIGHT MINDSET”

Properinfrastructureandconcertedefforts fromgovernment
authorities,corporatesandcivicsocietyarerequiredtoimprove
educationstandardsinvillages.Thisiscrucialtorealiseeconomic

prosperityforthenation

R ural education is the driving force
for social change and transforma-
tion. The ongoing pandemic has led
to several disruptions in the education
system with the shift to digital learn-
ing. According to the 16th edition of
Annual Status of Education Report-2021(Aser), the avail-
ability of smartphones in rural India has accelerated from
36.5 per cent in 2018 to 67.6 per cent in 2021, while 79 per
cent of students studying in private schools have smart-
phones at home, as compared to 63.7 per cent of students
studying in government schools. With limited internet
penetration, the rural hinterland is slowly progressing by
adopting innovative solutions for sustained education.

Ensuring a sustainable learning environment in rural
India can act as a pivotal change agent to circumvent pov-
erty, violence and exploitation that millions of children
andadultsfacedaily. Thepandemichasfurtherdeepened
the educational crisis, including potential learning loss
and school dropouts, with an incessant gender dispar-
ity in educating girls. Online learning taking the front
seat, schools in the remotest parts of the country were not
prepared to switch gears and implement new learning
techniques rapidly. To widen the education landscape and
to ensure equal learning opportunities amongst the rural
children, schools and Anganwadis must first be equipped
withadequateinfrastructurebeforethedigitalshift. This
can be accomplished only when communities, regulatory
authorities, corporates and educational institutions take
collaborative measures to work towards sustainable de-
velopment goals of education in villages.

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Strengthening resilience “The pandemic has further
deepened the educational crisis,
Accessibility and quality of education is a primary including potential learning loss
right of every child in order to stay relevant and to avail
opportunities that lead to economic growth and social and school dropouts, with an
wellbeing. However, the children in rural India are incessant gender disparity in
distressed with multiple challenges to gain primary
education, including a limited number of schools educating girls”
combined with absence of proper transportation fa-
cilities to travel a long distance, lack of infrastructure gramme. BasedonRajasundari’ssuccess,evenhersister
and basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets etc. Abirami followed the same path, which enabled her to
be employed. The farmer’s family is well-secured and
Furthermore, the curriculum followed in rural sufficient, with both the daughters employed. This story
schools is outdated, teaching techniques are ineffec- is not just an indication of success to the family but also a
tive and there is access to technology due to lack of colossal feat of educating girls.
funds to upgrade the systems in the schools or even to
train the teachers. The mobile phone usage amongst Another successive measure that highlights the im-
rural government school children is less than 30 per portance of education is the positive outcome of Kadarpi,
cent. This is especially true for remote tribal commu- who has been working for 28 years in an Anganwadi Cen-
nities and other socially and economically backward tre located in Venkatagiri Municipality. He proactively
classes that lack the resources to avail online learning. approached Srinivasan Services Trust, the social arm
of a leading two-wheeler company, seeking support to
Some of the key points to sustain education in- improve the infrastructure of the Anganwadi, due to the
clude focusing on preventing learning losses and lack of several basic facilities such as drinking water, toi-
dropouts, especially of girls and children living in let, kitchen, electricity, and proper flooring. The trust
extreme poverty or food insecurity, offering better undertook this project at an estimated cost of Rs 210,000
infrastructure to improvise connectivity and imple- and ensured that there is the participation of the local
mentation of successful digital literacy. Prioritising community from the locality to fund the project. This
education in rural areas will demonstrate the prog- sustainable approach helped the school enhance infra-
ress of the communities at a micro-level and contrib- structure by January 2021, within a short span of 45 days,
ute towards bolstering the nation’s economic growth. withsupportandcontributionsfromthecommunity. Asa
result, the number of children studying at the Anganwadi
Leading by example Centreincreasedsignificantly. Thesafepremisesalsoled
to children spending more time in school and improving
In response to the powerful urge of fostering inclusive the quality of learning.
and equitable quality education in rural India, the
corporate trustee of a leading two-wheeler manufac- It is the responsibility of the government, corporates,
turer is working with communities and the govern- local communities and education stakeholders to help
ment to empower India’s rural poor through aware- rural children regain their promised future. There is a
ness, skills and training programs. One such success constant need to assess and work on untapped resources
story is that of the Corporate trust’s intervention to a to keep rebuilding not only education’s basic services but
farmer’s family residing in Kamalandapuram Village also its fundamental objectives. With a sustainable ap-
in Padavedu Panchayat, located in Tiruvannamalai proach, we can bridge the educational divide and facili-
District. The farmer has five daughters with lim- tate continuity in learning in rural India.
ited earnings from her occupation. In 2014, while
her eldest daughter T. Rajasundari was studying in Swaran Singh, IAS (R) is the Chairman of the Srini-
Xth grade at Renukondapuram Government High vasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of the TVS
School, she was informed about the free higher edu- Motor Company since August 2018. Before joining SST,
cation programme and training conducted by the he was into public service, holding significant portfolios
corporate trust. Rajasundari was enrolled on the in the Government of India for over three decades. He re-
programme, and she successfully cleared the screen- tired from the Government of Tamil Nadu as Principal
ing tests, which helped her to pursue her higher stud- Secretary & Commissioner for Industries & Commerce.
ies at Pollachi’s Nachimuthu Vocational Training
Institute. This learning opportunity further helped WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM
Rajasundari obtain a job at a leading two-wheeler
manufacturing company on completion of the pro-

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrcAhY-2A0p2r2il 210722 17

Column AAKASHSETHI

“A LEAPFROG
MOMENT FOR
EDUCATION”

Covid-19pandemicwroughtunprecedentedchangesinthelearningand

educationeco-sphere.Thechalkandblackboardwerereplacedbythe

Vmouseandcomputerscreens–forthemostpartnotahappytransition
arious studies and reports have sig-
naled an alarming decline in learn-
ing levels among students, and an
overall decline in their socio-emo-
tional wellbeing. A UNICEF India
survey found that 76 per cent of par-

ents of students aged 5-13 years and 80 per cent of adoles-

cents aged 14-18 years reported learning somewhat less or

significantly less than they would in school.

Through our engagement with young learners across

the country however, we saw how self-learning enabled by

technology can become a key component to meaningful,

empowered future for young people from resource-poor

backgrounds. Once learning was unlocked within the

home and community spaces, and supported through a

nurturing environment, children were eager to engage

in the learning process. In fact, a report by the Depart-

ment of Public Instruction in Karnataka concluded that

students had picked up new skills such as reading and

writing for leisure, gardening, singing, and dancing – all

during the pandemic. The survey also found that many

of the students learnt vital life lessons, although they had

losses in academic progress.

During the first few months of the pandemic, teach-

ers across the country grappled with technical hurdles,

unfamiliaritywithonlinelearningplatformsandfacilita- classroom in an online space, rather than creating learn-

tion, and the sudden loss of interpersonal exchanges that ing experiences designed for the digital space.

are the foundation of the traditional learning-teaching

process. Students remained silent spectators in their Revisiting the design of online learning

virtual classrooms, while reporting that they were un- Digitallearningandonlineclassroomsshouldnotbeseen

able to grasp many of the concepts being taught. Teach- justasachangeinaplatformorteachingspace,butrather

ers struggled to make their classes more interactive and a carefully crafted and thoughtful approach to creating

meaningful. learning experiences. It calls for a fundamental change in

Perhaps the larger issue faced by the educator com- the pedagogy from all stakeholders involved — teachers

munity as a whole was an attempt at recreating an offline andinstitutionheads,educationofficersandgovernment

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Photographs by PALTUSHYAMAL A blended learning model will drive
interest-based learning, enabling
departments, parents, communities and the learners students to not merely consume the
themselves —whoshouldalwaysbeplacedatthecenterof content shared by their teachers, but
any learning initiatives. There are many proven models to become self-learners and pick up
help create meaningful learning experiences. The flipped new skills. There needs to be a criti-
learning model, for example, aims at increasing student cal shift in the systemic approach to
engagement, and has worked well for many educators learning and education, where prac-
during the pandemic. Under this model, the teacher en- tices, beliefs and mindsets will have
ables access to learning materials or assignments prior to to evolve. Educators and educational
the class, and engages in a discussion with the students institutions will need to shift power
during their online class. Another teaching methodology and authority in to the hands of the learners, and cre-
that supports self-learning and can work well for online ate environments which enable them to craft their own
classes is constructivism, where the learner constructs learning journeys.
their own knowledge. However, for a blended model to work effectively, all
students must have access to the digital resources re-
Optimising the benefits of both mediums quired to enable their learning. Under the pandemic,
the digital divide and access to devices was particularly
Digital Learning cannot assume the mantle of a cure-all crippling for students from marginalised communities
for India’s education challenges. There is much merit in and remote geographical areas, and even more so for girls.
the essential aspects of the traditional teaching/learning Many single-device households prioritised online learn-
process, like focussed attention and an emotional connec- ing for boys over girls. Poor internet connectivity and
tion with the teacher, and socio-emotional development economic constraints meant that many children could
which occurs through interacting with peers. However, not access digital classes.
these need to be weighed against the opportunities that A recent report by the World Bank highlights that
digital learning can provide. remote learning has the potential to address inequality
in learning, especially if teachers, students and technol-
Thedistinctadvantageofonlineclasses —eithersyn- ogy are well-aligned. It is therefore essential for State and
chronousorasynchronous —isthatitisanon-judgmental Central governments to ramp up investment in digital
medium. Learners who were earlier apprehensive about infrastructure and accessibility for every learner in the
asking questions or getting their doubts clarified in a phys- country.
ical classroom are now able to repeat the lessons at their
own pace, which has resulted in better learning for many A chance to re-imagine education delivery
students. Onlineclassesalsoallowabroaderengagement
with a topic, as students can undertake their own research The National Education Policy 2020 states that the pur-
by speaking to experts across the globe, and connect with pose of education should not be to only hone the cognitive
like-minded peers. development of the student, but also aid in building char-
acter and creating holistic and well-rounded individuals
A blended approach, which optimises the best aspects equipped with the key 21st century skills.
of in-person and virtual classes, can help build an engag-
ing learning environment for the students. For instance, The pandemic brought on a shift towards self-learn-
while information can be disseminated and discussed in ing. This should be looked at as a leapfrog moment that
online classes, students can be encouraged to come to- has the potential to transform the education system and
gether in a physical classroom to solve problems, collabo- re-imagine how education can be offered to all learners
rate, build relationships and reflect upon their learning. in an inclusive and empowering manner. It is time for all
the different actors in the education ecosystem to put the
power of learning in the hands of the learner. Educators
should step out of their conventional role and wear the hat
of a facilitator who can help students discover their own
learning process. The focus and emphasis should shift
from examination and rote learning to self-learning and
equipping students with a 21st century mindset.

Aakash Sethi is CEO, Quest Alliance.

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Column PRANEETAGARWAL

“WAY-FORWARD FOR
TECHNOLOGY-
ENABLED LEARNING”

Covid-19perforceusheredinanageofself-pacedinteractive
learningtoolsinonlineeducation,thebenefitsofwhichwillcontinue
toaccruetolearners

In the two years of pandemic, online learning The real magic can happen if technology can en-
became mainstream, as it was only safe option able more autonomous and self-paced learning experi-
available for billions of learners across the world. ences and start delivering interactive learning at scale.
Even in a post-pandemic world, one big advan- This necessitates technology to start doing some of the
tage that it offers is in making learning widely heavy lifting that a human instructor does in provid-
accessible, as long as you have the right device ing a more holistic learning experience — combining
and an internet connection. For a coun-
try like India which has struggled to the wide access that online learning
build and operate a widely accessible is already known for with the inter-
and high quality learning infrastruc- activity. Some of the products like
ture, it holds the promise of helping us Duolingo have already started doing
leapfrog the infrastructure limitations it for activities like language learning.
and truly democratise learning for mil- With the advancements of technology,
lions of learners. With the increasing self-paced learning experiences for
smartphone and internet penetration, more complex activities like dance,
the ground is already fertile for mobile- music can also be built which new-age
first online learning solutions. ed-tech companies like WeSkill are
pioneering.
Most online models today however
take an oversimplified approach to For designing and building great
learning and focus only on aggregat- self-paced experiences, it is impor-
ing and delivering content. And while tant to understand the psyche of great
this oversimplified approach is able to teachers/ mentors and ‘productise’ the
make a huge breadth of content widely learnings. Looking closely, one realis-
accessible, it struggles to deliver on es that the role of a great teacher is not
learning outcomes which reflects in the only limited to content curation and
extremely poor (less than 5 per cent) delivery — it is about understanding
course completion rates that platforms like Youtube and and solving for the overall learning
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) typically wit- journey, helping a newbie traverse the seven stages of
ness. Some models leverage human instructor involve- learning starting from discovery all the way to achiev-
ment to solve for these deficiencies (e.g. via live online ing rewards and recognition. The key in building great
instructor-led classes), but are limited in terms of acces- product experiences will be in leveraging the technology
sibility or scalability. to solve the key customer pain points across the overall
learning journey shown in the table.

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Typical learning journey and the avenues for tech disruptions

Learning need Key pain points Potential tech disruptions
Discovery How do I find the right courses/ teachers?
Single-window access to a variety of activities and learning
avenues

Intent How do I develop interest in the topic? Short product-led experiences with low friction and no judg-
ment in trying out something new

What is the right course material for the topic? High-quality interactive content enhanced with personalisa-

Content curation What other equipment/ support material is tion features to aid consumption (e.g. availability in vernacu-
Content Delivery
Assessmen/ Feedback required? lar languages, audio-visual cues, playback speed etc.)

Motivation How do I consume the content? Accessibility of content in convenient channels/ formats - e.g.
Reward/ Recognition on-device mobile content

How do I assess my progress? Tech-driven objective assessment of progress with actionable
feedback

How do I rectify my mistakes and get better Avenues for easily aggregating and sharing jury/ peer feed-
at it? back

How do I keep myself motivated? Gamification/ Nudges to keep the learner hooked and com-
ing back to learn
Cohort-based learning journeys to aid peer learning

How do I get acknowledged/ rewarded for my Wide-scale platform to showcase talent and compete with

skills and talent? peers

Photographs by INDIAPICTUREBUDGET ferent aspects of dance — ex-
pressions/ eye movements in
Among the different stages of the learning journey, Bharatanatyam and hand
the assessment/ feedback layer is probably the most gestures in Kathak. However,
technologically challenging, especially for activities like with the advancement of AI/
dance and music. This is because of the complexities in ML technology, it is now be-
building a robust detection layer and building versatile coming possible to solve these
analytical models which can capture the nuances. For complexities to enable an in-
example, classical dance forms give importance to dif- teractive learning experience
even on even low-cost smart-
phones.

As we enter the age of self-
paced interactive learning
tools in online education, it is
hard not to be excited by what
the future holds in store for the
next generation — and democ-
ratisation of learning seems
like a very real possibility!

Praneet Agarwal is the Co-Founder at WeSkill. He is
responsible for developing self-learning tool and leading
app development which has now garnered 150k+ down-

loads. He has also worked in companies like PayTm,
Bain. He has done his engineering from IIT -Delhi and

MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad.

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COVERSTORY / Interview

“We Worked
Hard, Remained
Disciplined and
Offered Quality
Education”

The man behind Aakash Educational Services delves into the
origins of the coaching institute, their collaboration with Byju’s, his
passion for numerology and the philosophy driving it all

JC Chaudhry is an edu- Chaudhry turned entre- building, what is argu-
cationist, a philanthro- preneur and came back ably, the most famous
pist, an entrepreneur, with Aakash Institute to coaching institute in the
an author and a numer- offer coaching classes for country, JC Chaudhry
ologist. He started his medical and engineering is also making waves in
journey as an educator, students. The institute, the field of numerology,
and taught multiple with its presence across receiving the first-ever
subjects at Ashish Col- India and a legacy of over Guinness W orld Record
lege of Correspondence, three decades, has now in Numerology in 2022.
Rani Bagh, New Delhi. joined hands with one of In an exclusive interview,
The institute eventu- the largest ed-tech plat- Chaudhry discusses his
ally shut its doors in the forms, Byju’s. entrepreneurial journey,
early 1980s. Undeterred, his passion for education
Moving forward from

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Photographs by Ritesh Sharma J C CHAUDHRY
Founder
WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM
Aakash Institute

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrcAhY-2A0p2r2il 220232 23

COVERSTORY / Interview

and the future of Aakash were not being fulfilled. teaching, getting results
Institute. Excerpts: It was my aim to start and my students get-
ting admission in higher
Aakash Educational a coaching institute that education institutes. My
Services has been in delivered on the promises planning never extended
education field for and expectations of stu- beyond the next lesson,
over three decades dents enrolling with the the next class. Everything
now, making a distinct institute. I was a teacher. else just fell into place.
impact on the entrance So, for me the goal was
exams landscape. How to teach students to the The better we taught,
does it feel? best of my abilities and the better the students
It is a great feeling. It also have other educators do performed. This led to
seems unreal. I never the same. I wanted to higher enrolment at our
imagined I will reach this increase the rate of selec- institutes and demand
height, but by the grace tion in higher education for our services. To keep
of God and hard work institutes. up with this demand we
this day has come. None started more classes,
of this would have been Another driving force hired more educators
possible without our staff was nurturing self-re- and opened new centres.
members and the dedica- spect in students and There was no time to
tion of students. a respect for teachers. think beyond the need to
Money was never a driv- create more doctors and
What inspired you to ing force. It was always to coach the students who
start this venture? about education and re- wanted to learn with us.
I started with 12 stu- spect. We worked hard
dents. At the time there and remained disciplined In the last 25 years,
were many big coaching in our goals, which has our students have con-
institutes, but I felt that led to the success story tinuously secured top
the quality of education that we are today. ranks in entrance exams
was lacking and the com- all across India. Con-
mitments to students How did you make the sequently, the student
enrolment has steadily
decisions to scale up? increased, and so has
My focus was always on revenue. This is how we
grew. We never planned,
“Improve your intrapersonal we worked hard, re-
qualities and skills. Having the mained disciplined
right attitude is very important. and offered quality
So is trying to find good qualities, education.
however little, in others and
ourselves. If we engage in fault- Can you tell us about
finding behaviour, it will only lead
to loss and dishearten one from your collaboration

reaching their goals” with Byju’s?
With Byju’s Technology,
we have also been able to
scale up by improving our
costs and helping chil-
dren become very sharp
and intelligent. Our tech-
nological system has be-
come superior— better

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Photographs by Ritesh Sharma than anybody else. With
the presence of Byju’s,
BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrcAhY-2A0p2r2il 220252 25 we have opened 100 new
centres in a span of six
months.

He [Byju Raveen-
dran] is spending a lot of
money on advertisements
also. So that is how we are
in a win-win position be-
cause they too are getting
better reception to their
commercials because
of the association with
Aakash.

What are your views

on ed-tech?
It has its own merits
and demerits. Educa-
tion technology is ex-
panding at a very rapid
pace, changing the way
of teaching. Students
are also becoming ac-
customed to the new
environment. Earlier it
was primarily in chalk-
and-talk mode but now,
in the Covid-19 scenario,
learning has gone online,
people are working from
home and not going to of-
fices. The social dimen-
sion of learning has taken
a backseat.

However, looking at
the global picture, tech-
nology is the only solution
that will survive. Physi-
cal teaching methods will
not be able to scale up the
way technology can.

What do you think

should be the priority

to take education to

the next level in India?
The foundation of educa-

WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM

COVERSTORY / Interview

We need people who are
rooted in the present and
understand the ground
reality.

I see five-year plans in
place, but I believe that
for real progress we need
a 50-year plan, with five-
year demarcations to re-
view policy, evaluate its
success and make neces-
sary improvements. We
need to decide where we
want the nation to be in
50 years because that is
what education is creat-
ing. Five-year plans are
too short-term and with-
out proper monitoring
we cannot judge their
impact.

tion lies in the teacher. need to take care of them. What needs to change
We need to have the Their health, mental and
best, and most dedicated financial wellbeing need in higher education?
teachers, who strive to to be taken care of. If a We are still recovering
improve their skills and person is worried about from the cultural de-
find new ways to impart bringing the next meal on struction we faced under
their knowledge. There- the table or is overworked colonial rule. Our educa-
fore, teacher training and under-appreciated, tional institutes and lit-
is crucial for any ad- they will not bring their erature were destroyed.
vancement in education. best self to work and this In order for a country
Teachers must be trained will negatively impact to progress, its culture
properly in various fields students. needs to be respected. We
and counselled properly need to maintain our an-
so that their own goals We have many cient culture. We were an
align with their duty as new courses and pro- advanced society but a lot
educators. grammes, but that is just has changed. People pre-
one step; the implemen- fer speaking English over
Teachers are the pil- tation requires effort and learning and mastering
lars of education, but we dedicated professionals. regional languages. All
our machines come from
abroad and most of our
talented workforce opt
to work abroad.

Right now, I believe we
need to lay a strong em-
phasis on research. We
need to increase funding
and support to research-
ers in higher education

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“Teachers are the pillars of education, Photographs by Ritesh Sharma
but we need to take care of them. If a
person is worried about bringing the
next meal on the table or is overworked
and under-appreciated, they will not

bring their best self to work”

institutes. We also need Whenever I feel diseases. Every facet of structure, and even the
to create incentives for blocked, I try to wake human character is con- merger with Byju’s, it
talent to stay in the coun- up early and think care- trolled by numerology. has been instrumental in
try. If we are able to do fully and calmly through Therefore, I am inter- making better decisions.
this, the ‘Make in India’ whatever situation I am ested in learning more
initiative can be even in. Through this process, and gaining expertise in At the same time, there
more successful. I am able to find gaps that this area. is no replacement for hard
I can later fill. And if I work and I do not believe
What life lessons reach a point where there Where did you passion that numerology alone
is nothing left to be done, can guarantee success. It
would you like to im- I leave it up to God. for numerology come is more like a weapon that
can help one prepare and
part to people? Following the collabo- from? navigate through difficult
Improve your intraper- It started with a fam- and uncertain circum-
sonal qualities and skills. ration, what is the next ily visit to Haridwar in stances. Whenever I did
Having the right atti- 1984. During this visit not feel confident, instead
tude is very important. step for you? my brother-in-law Y. K. of relying on others for ad-
So is trying to find good With the merger, most Gauba started teaching vice or help, I used numer-
qualities, however little, things are controlled me numerolog y. I was ology as a tool to guide me.
in others and ourselves. by Byju’s, although we fascinated by how it en-
If we engage in fault- are fully involved. Af- ables a person to under- Any predictions for the
finding behaviour, it will ter that, I am planning stand people’s character
only lead to loss and dis- to work on numerology. and circumstance and re- future?
hearten one from reach- My dream is to make it a solve potential conflicts For betterment, the
ing their goals. global phenomenon. The through an insight into change needs to start at
science involved in it is the future. the top before it can make
It is easy to criticise, very effective at predict- its way down. ‘Make in
but very difficult to fix ing things, but for the last Once I learnt, I began India’ is an important
something gone awry. 5,000 years, it has been to practise it, first with initiative in creating
No matter how much lying dead. So, I want to strangers I met while trav- positive change, both so-
loss you suffer, keep try- become the instrument elling, and then with my cially and economically.
ing to motivate yourself that will bring it to life. To own family and friends. We have begun manu-
and others. Always try to do this I am opening my I also found that 70 to 80 facturing in the country
inspire others whenever head office in Dubai. per cent of my predictions and there is tremendous
they are not successful. were realised. So, I began support extended to bud-
Only then a can a positive Numerology has the to use this at Aakash In- ding entrepreneurs. If we
state of mind be reached potential to open our stitute. From hiring of continue building on this,
and work can begin. The third eye and help us look staff to deciding locations India can grow to new
most important thing is, into tomorrow -- to plan for new centres, opening heights.
never to give up. our future and to control dates and timings, fee

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h2- Ap8ril 2022 28 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

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BW EDUCATION MAY 2022 29 WWW.BWEDUCATION.COM

Column DRKUMARGAURAV

WELHUYDETOINPD1IA00 RANKS

Thereisaneedforconcertedeffortonresearch,innovation,IPs,

employerreputationandahostofotherparameterstoimprovethe

Iprospectsofourinstitutesndia has a massive educational ecosystem for versity Rankings; Indian institutions have not marked
providing higher education; however, the qual- their presence in top 100 (Table 1). The major indicators
ity of education and skill development has been of QS rankings include academic peer review, faculty-
debated time and again. Although India has one student ratio, citations per faculty, employer reputation,
of the world’s largest higher education systems, international student ratio, international staff ratio, with
it lacks in terms of world-class institutions, re- differentiated weightage to different parameters. THE
flected through dismally low performance in global rank- rankings include indicators like industry-income inno-
ings. Even developing countries are performing better vation, international diversity, teaching, research and
compared to Indian institutes in world rankings of higher citations. Whether it’s QS or THE rankings, Indian higher
education institutions. education institutions have performed inadequately,
which can be discerned through table 1.
In the latest rankings (2022) by Times Higher Educa-
tion (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Uni-

Table 1 : Comparative List of Rankings

THE World University QS World University Top Indian Institutes/ Top Indian Institutes/
Rankings* Rankings* Universities (THE Rankings)* Universities (QS Rankings)*
IISc, Bengaluru (301-350) IIT Bombay (177)
University of Oxford, UK (1) MIT, USA (1) IIT Delhi (185)
California Institute of IIT Ropar (351-400)
Technology, USA (2) University of Oxford, UK (2) IISc, Bengaluru (186)
JSS Academy of Higher Education
Harvard University, USA (2) Stanford University, USA (3) and Research (351-400) IIT Madras (255)

Stanford University, USA (4) University of Cambridge, IIT Indore (401-500)
UK (3)

University of Cambridge, Harvard University, USA (5) Alagappa University (501-600) IIT Kanpur (277)
UK (5)

MIT, USA (5) California Institute of Thapar Institute of Engineering and IIT Kharagpur (280)
IIT Guwahati (395)
Princeton University, USA (7) Technology (Caltech), USA (6) Technology, Patiala (501-600) IIT Roorkee (400)
University of Delhi (501-510)
University of California, Imperial College London, BHU, Varanasi (601-800) JNU (561-570)
Berkeley, USA (8) UK (7)

Yale University, USA (9) ETH Zurich- Swiss Federal Institute of Chemical Technology,
The University of Chicago, Institute of Technology, Mumbai (601-800)
USA (10) Switzerland (8)

UCL, UK (8) Delhi Technological University,
Delhi (601-800)

The University of Chicago, IIT Gandhinagar (601-800)
USA (10)

Source:Data compiled from THE World University Rankings-2022 and QS World University Rankings-2022; * Figures in bracket show World Ranking

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h3- A0pril 2022 30 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

Photographs by Umesh Goswami

The figures in table demonstrate skewed geographi- for promoting high quality research and innovation.
cal concentration of the institutes across globe, since, Likewise, it will help reorient the direction of domestic
almost all the world class institutes in the top-10 category higher education institutes so that they become globally
are from the US or the UK. In India, Indian Institute of competitive and emerge as world class institutions. The
Technology (IIT) Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Government of India has recently declared 20 institutes/
(IIT) Delhi, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Benga- universities, including 10 public and 10 private institutes,
luru, ranked globally at 177, 185 and 186 respectively (QS as Institutions of Eminence (IoE) with a view to develop
Ranking). Some other IITs have also marked their pres- them as world class institutions.
ence in top 500. However, no Indian institute/university
is in the top 100 list. While there could be a few inherited fallacies in the
global rankings, India can’t shrug off its abysmally low
The Government of India, through its Ministry of place in both the rankings, especially on parameters of
Education (MoE), has initiated two major rankings for international faculty and students and global perception.
higher education institutions in India — National Insti-
tutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and Atal Ranking A robust holistic strategy is needed to transform In-
of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA). dian educational landscape to bring it at par with global
The MoE launched NIRF in 2015 in an attempt to create standards. Collaborative research with world class in-
an extensive framework for ranking institutes of higher stitutes/universities and cooperation with domestic re-
education in India on the parameters of teaching, learn- search labs is lagging behind. Moreover, there is a wide
ing and resources, research and professional practices, gap between number of patents and its commercialisa-
graduation outcomes, outreach & inclusivity and percep- tion. Huge public expenditure is required in higher ed-
tion. On the other end, ARIIA is a scheme for scientifi- ucation sector for creating research infrastructure to
cally ranking all the leading higher educational institutes facilitate research, innovation, entrepreneurship and
(HEIs), universities and colleges across India relying on employability based on global needs.
parameters based on ‘Innovation and Entrepreneur-
ship Development’. This is a unique ranking framework The rampant demand-supply gap in higher education,
of HEIs across India to gauge the quality of innovation lacking academia-industry linkage, detachment of teach-
infrastructure and entrepreneurship. The broad param- ing from research, low PhD enrolments, weak research in-
etersinclude mind-setdevelopment,teachingandlearn- frastructure, deficient innovation and entrepreneurship
ing, infrastructure and facilities, innovations developed, ecosystem are the key challenges in the way of global pres-
start-ups established, collaboration and investment, IP ence of Indian higher education institutes. The outcome
& commercialisation, expenses and revenue and initia- of the National Education Policy-2020 will be observed
tives of MOE. in a few years. However, structural reforms are the need
of the hour to reorient the higher education institutes in
Apart from initiating these rankings framework, the the country to become centres of excellence.
National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 is another step
towards educational reforms. These domestic ranking The author is Assistant Professor and Head - Econom-
frameworks can provide an impetus to Indian institutes ics, SNS College, Magadh University.
to restructure their approach and create environment

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrcAhY-2A0p2r2il 230212 31 WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM

OPENING ESSAY

“40 UNDER 40 IN4400UNDER
EDUCATION AND ED-TECH”

BW Education celebrated young achievers under 40 under 40 in education and ed-tech,
who are innovators, entrepreneurs, disruptors and change-makers

Education is a Photographs by FREEPIK
lifelong pro-
cess. Edu- leaders from 20 years of changed the way things co-founders, CEOs, in-
cation eco- age to 40 years of age were done traditionally. novators and disruptors.
system in making a pioneering dif-
India is remodelling and ference to the education The class who are not We celebrated the
reinventing itself to inte- ecosystem. just entrepreneurs who most definitive gather-
grate technology and to started disruptive busi- ing of change makers and
keep pace with new social BW Education 40 ness but also CEO’s and innovators. We received
paradigms. The educa- under 40 list looked at executives who have risen 100+ nominations and
tion ecosystem and edu- unique business ideas and up the corporate ladder the entries were evaluated
cators form the backbone the people powering these quickly. But we measured by the respected jury.
of economy. The leaders in ideas. It was very dynamic success not just through
the field — whether teach- and included people from money, revenues, valu- Anil Sahasrabudhe,
ers, course creators, edu- a range of industries. ations and prof its. We Chairman, AICTE was
cators, education institu- While each one may not looked at innovative ideas the Jury Chair. Other Jury
tion owners, education have built a billion-dollar but with India set to be the members were: Annurag
entrepreneurs, education business but they have youngest country in the Batra, Chairman & Edi-
technology pioneers, and all built something new world, rest assured the 40 tor-in-Chief, BW Busi-
ecosystem partners in ed- and different or simply under 40 list saw many nessworld & Founder, ex-
ucation — are doing great change4media; Punam
work in various facets of
education.

BW Education be-
lieves that these bright-
est youngest leaders
should be showcased to
the larger ecosystem of
business, society and the
country at large. And this
was the driving factor be-
hind organising the BW
Education 40 under 40 in
Education and ed-tech. It
is an initiative to honour
and showcase these young

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h3- A2pril 2022 32 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

Sahgal, Former Dean & tion; and Vinesh Menon, tinised all these nomina- Speaking about the
Professor, IIM-Lucknow; CEO - Education, Con- tions and presented the BW Education 40 under
SS Mantha, Former sulting & Skilling, Am- top 40 young achievers. 40 list, he said, “The story
Chairman, AICTE; Lata persand Group. of all the nominees was
Vaidyanathan, Director, The winners were inspiring and came from
TERI Prakriti School; Out of the total that awarded in a grand diverse backgrounds
Divya Lal, Founder & were received, 55 were virtual event in the like primary school, high
MD, Fliplearn Educa- shortlisted for the jury. presence of the jury chair school, college and each
The jury carefully scru- Anil Sahasrabudhe. one of them had created
a niche for themselves in
The elite BW Education 40 Under 40 List of Young Achievers. India and also abroad.”

Name   Organisation   Designation   He congratulated
and complimented the
Abhay Gupta Board Infinity Co-Founder participants and the BW
Education team for their
Abhishek Ballabh ExtraaEdge Co-founder initiative that will help in
building New India.
Abhishek Patil Oliveboard Comptech Founder & CEO
Dr Velumani, MD,
Abhishek Suryawanshi Wikipedia SWASTHA Founder & Director Thyrocare, advised all
young achievers to keep
Aditya Berlia Apeejay Education Society/Apeejay Joint Secretary/Co-Founder & Pro- up with their achieve-
Stya University Chancellor ments and make sure that
they are able to sustain
Akshay Chaturvedi Leverage Ed-Tech Founder & CEO their success. “If someone
becomes successful at
Arpit Jain SplashLearn CEO & Co-founder an early age it becomes a
challenge to sustain that
Arpit Panjwani Maa Anandmayee Memorial School Director success. Young achiev-
ers face more stress than
Ashutosh Kumar Testbook Edu Solutions CEO people who have reached
a particular stage of their
Ayush Bansal iDreamCareer.com Founder & CEO life,” he added. He further
said that all these young
Devishobha Kidskintha India Private Limited Founder & CEO achievers must remain
Chandramouli focused to attain their
life goals.
Kaushik Raju Atria University Member, Board of Trustees
The list includes dis-
Kavish Gadia Stones2Milestones Edu Co-founder & CEO ruptors, educators and
thought-leaders who
Kounal Gupta Henry Harvin® Education Founder &CEO are as young as 27 and
28. All these have made
Manan Khurma Cuemath CEO, Founder &First Teacher their mark in the field
of education and aim to
Manit Parikh ELSA Corp Country Head make a difference with
their work.
Mayank Kumar upGrad Education Co-Founder & Managing Director
The winners were de-
Mohammed Zeeshan MyCaptain by Climber Co-Founder & CEO lighted to receive the rec-
ognition and expressed
Moulshree Dubey Professional Institute of Engineering CEO their gratitude and ap-
and Technology preciation towards the
jury and BW Business-
Niyati Chitkara Chitkara International School Principal world team for organising
the initiative.
Phalgun Kompalli upGrad Education Co-Founder

Pooja Verma Whisskers Marketing CEO & Co-founder

Pratham Barot Zell Education Pvt. Ltd CEO & Co-founder

Rameswar Mandali SKILL MONKS CEO & Founder

Reekrit Serai Satluj Public School Managing Director

Rishab Sumer Mehta GrayQuest Education Finance Pvt Ltd Founder & CEO

Rohan Parikh The Green Acres Academy Managing Director

Sagar Bahadur The University of Queensland Principal Adviser

Shivani Malhotra Vega Schools Director - School Strategy

Sonya Hooja Imarticus Learning Co-founder & Chief Operating
Officer

Sriram Venkata IndigoLearn.com Co-founder & CEO
Somayajula

Sumesh Nair Board Infinity CEO

Sunil Sathyavolu EdSense Co-Founder

Surabhi Dewra CareerGuide Founder & CEO

Tijay Gupta S.K. Educations Pvt. Ltd .(Bachpan) Co-founder & Chief Operating
Officer

Tushar Bansal Avtaar Education Founder

Upneet Grover Getmyuni Education Services Pvt Ltd Founder & CEO

Vamsi Vedantu CEO & Co-founder

Vinayak Garg Lazy Gardener Founder & CEO

Vineet Patawari Elearnmarkets.com Co-founder

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrAchY-2A0p2r2il 230232 33 WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM

INTERVIEW Abhishek Ballabh

4400UNDER

“Even If One
Bullet Left, Focus

On The Target”

The Co-Founder of ExtraaEdge, Abhishek Ballabh, speaks on his way forward, the roadmap
planned for growth and some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in this conversation with
BW Education. Excerpts:

You are among our BW experiments via building would win? a better version of myself
ExtraaEdge. Maybe my every day.
40 under 40 winners story will help a kid from Absolutely not. As a found-
a small-town who has er, we never ask for any How do expectations
for Education and Ed dreams to follow their path awards. That being said, that people have from
of building companies and we do enjoy when some- you change when
Tech. What were some solve complex problems of one says a job well done. So, things, including this
Indian society, consumers this came as a surprise for win, seem to be going in
of your initial thoughts and businesses. me and ExtraaEdge. But your favour?
it is always great to be ac- Irrespective of the results,
when you learned of the When this initiative knowledged. It feels nice. I was proud to be there in
was announced, did Here, I would also like to front of the judges. It is
results? you think this was a especially thank my Co- an honour, and I have al-
It is an honour and a privi- platform, where you Founder, Sushil Mundada. ways believed in the Holy
lege to receive this at this He inspires me to become
age. I am in my early thir-
ties. I believe this came “I firmly believe that every founder
in at the right time, when forges his own path and journey. A lot
education and ed-tech are of advice flowing around may not be
seeing tremendous digi- useful as only the founder knows the
tisation tailwinds both in
learning outcomes, deliv- context, his situation and what will
ery and student acquisi- work for them”
tion. It was great to reflect
on my professional entre-
preneurial life and present
this to the esteemed jurors
with the sauce of brevity. I
come from a middle-class
small town in Ranchi.
Being a first-generation
entrepreneur and son of
a bureaucrat, everything
was learned by the books,
conversations and my own

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h3- A4pril 2022 34 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

the present — enjoy it while
you can.

Build mental models.
Read about Charlie Mung-
er and learn principles and
mental models to make
better decisions.
Focus on your North Star.
Know your priority and
only work towards it.
Protect your time. It’s all
you have.
Practice empathy as a dis-
cipline. People remember
not what you did for them
but how they felt with you.

Bhagavad Gita of being if you only have one bullet bricks in the foundation Do you have sugges-
true to my karma, while left in the gun, you have to of the skyscraper, at least
not worrying about out- focus and hit the target. in their minds. Few men- tions for aspiring en-
comes. As a founder of You might not hit it, but tal models I use to become
a fast-growing venture you definitely will not hit better at my game are: trepreneurs?
backed tech company, the if you lose focus. I believe I believe that every founder
hardest thing is that you in focusing on the road and Take a long-term view. forges his own path and
are still waking up to the not worrying too much on Success is attained on a journey. There is a lot of
world you are in. You are other things. long-time scale so always advice flowing around that
maturing at an accelerated think for the long term. may not be useful as only
rate in some ways, and in On that note, what are the founder knows the con-
other ways not so much. Be a learning machine. text, his situation and what
Sushil and I usually think some of your plans on Read, write and educate will work for them.
that we are about five years yourself constantly.
older than we are because the road ahead? I really love this quote
of the responsibility. It now The best founders are the Run your mind in de- by Hiten Shah, “No mat-
feels a part of my natural ones who think long-term. bugging mode. Take a ter what way you get your
operating system. If you Even decisions that maybe pause, reflect, and if pos- #startup/company advice,
focus on how you might they should not care about sible, meditate or go back in blogs, tweets, in person
fail, then you will fail. Even early on, they fix it because to nature in some forms to or even books, don’t forget
they are not building a self-reflect. the messenger’s context
house, they’re putting and intention”.
Live in the present. The
only moment that exists is As a company, and even
me as a founder, we are
work in progress at pres-
ent. Some of the things
that have helped me are
watching other leaders in
action and be an extremely
diligent pupil first, be em-
pathetic, read diligently
and understand human
psychology. Ask questions
and have courageous con-
versations, listen intently,
take actions and create an
environment for leader-
ship development.

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrAchY-2A0p2r2il 230252 35 WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM

4400UNDER INTERVIEW Abhishek Patil

“Keep & Ed Tech help?
Improving It feels great, no doubt,
Every to be appreciated for the
Day” great work the team has
done over the years. While
By his own admis- dent to learn, improve and sand variables. Every day it appears an individual
sion, one of the hard be exam ready. Whether at work, you have the op- award, I understand this
learnings for Olive- it is access to India’s best portunity to tweak the has only come about due to
board from its early teachers for those in Tier variables and improve the the contributions made by
days as edupreneurs 2 & beyond, or to help stu- outcomes. I generally steer every Oliveboard member,
is that in Edtech, dents to learn the language clear of providing advice. along with the love and re-
‘Ed’ comes first and of their choice, and to be- However, I must say that spect of over 7 million users
then comes the ‘tech’ ing able to continuously one learns from the learn- across India. It especially
to make it great. The guide students, and adapt ings of other entrepreneurs feels good for our work to
other way around content specific to one’s than from generic advice. be recognised, and to be
will not work says improvement areas. In the One of the hard learnings part of a distinguished
CEO & Co-Founder way forward, we will con- that we had from our early group.
of Oliveboard, tinue down this same path. days, as Edupreneurs, is
Abhishek Patil, in that in Edtech, ‘Ed’ comes Did you think this would
this chat with BW Any advice that you first and then comes the
Education’s Upasa- ‘tech’ to make it great. The be outcome when you
na. Excerpts: have for people who are other way around does not
work. participated?
What are some of your looking to dabble in this You cannot really pre-
How does winning in dict or feel entitled about
plans to stay ahead in space? something like this. Since
Keep improving every something like a BW 40 we had never participated
the game? day. I always say running in awards before, I had not
Our goal has been to use a startup is like solving under 40 for Education given it too much thought
technology in ways to an equation with a thou- initially. But I know that
make it easier for any stu- as a team, we have quietly,
and very efficiently, gone
“Keep improving every day. I always about building a great
say running a startup is like solving an product and a company
equation with a thousand variables. that is loved by our users.
For that reason alone, I did
Every day at work, you have the believe our work would be
opportunity to tweak the variables and noticed.

improve the outcomes” Does something like

increase expectations

that people have from

you and your company?
It still feels like Day 1 at
the startup for us. And
these awards are a great
motivation and validation
for the work we have been
doing. While I do not view
it as extra pressure, defi-
nitely these accolades are
drivers in further pushing
us towards our vision of
personalising education
for all.

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h3- A6pril 2022 36 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

THE MOST CREDIBLE | THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE | THE MOST POPULAR

BW EDUCATION MAY 2022 37 WWW.BWEDUCATION.COM

INTERVIEW Abhishek Suryawanshi

4400UNDER

“A Step In The
Right Direction Has

Great Impact”

When it comes to the scenario of the Indian healthcare, it showcases
a bandwidth of contrasting scenes. At one end, the high-tech medi-
care is making a difference, while on another end, the rural areas are
deprived of basic healthcare and knowledge. Implementing rede-
fined policy with a set of proper strategies is the need of the hour that
will work as a ray of hope in rural healthcare plans. In an exclusive
conversation with BW Education, Abhishek Suryawanshi, Founder
& Director, Wikipedia SWASTHA, shares how the community plays
an important role in the success of any project within the Wikipedia
ecosystem. He also talks about the impact that a social product can

make on the education sector. Edited Excerpts:

Wikipedia is a unique misinformation and cases various health-related It feels fantastic to be
of wrongful treatment due articles on the Wikipedia counted amongst such a
product given its very to misguidance over the platform. We are simul- coveted list of achievers.
internet. taneously carrying out Our project is one-year
nature. What are some training, workshops and old, and we are still on the
What are some of the edit-a-thons for students path of assuring Indian
of the things we can ex- and contributors who can readers that they can find
other things we are contribute relevant infor- relevant knowledge and
pect from the platform mation from India, for information also in their
likely to see you busy India. local languages. This will
in times of change? give me a platform to reach
Wikipedia is a voluntary with in the time ahead? The BW 40 under 40 out to more readers and
platform, and all our ini- We are working with award for Education impactful thought lead-
tiatives are run without some of the topmost or- and Edtech comprises ers, that will ultimately
any profits in mind. Volun- ganisations in the health- people who are doing be beneficial for all of us to
teers and editors contrib- care sector including the some very ground- disseminate critical infor-
ute to the health-related WHO, the UN, the CDC breaking work today. mation and fight misinfor-
articles on Wikipedia, and the Indian Health What were some of mation in India.
keeping in mind the im- Ministry. Our focus is to your first thoughts to
pact that this may have on ensure that all the verified feature in this list? Was the win in line with
the Indian audience, who data from credible sources
generally like to indulge in can be converted into ac-
self-diagnosis and medi- cessible information for
cation. Our aim remains
to mitigate the spread of

BW EBDWUCEADTUICOANTIMOANY 2M0a2rc2h3- A8pril 2022 38 WWWW.B.WBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINO.NC.OCMOM

“Our focus is to ensure that
all the verified data from credible

sources can be converted into
accessible information for various

health-related articles on the
Wikipedia platform”

your expectations? to see that BW Education sources of information or consistency has helped
has gone beyond business help in India. This is espe- me reach my goals, de-
If you go through the list, numbers to recognise the cially true in rural com- spite many ups and downs.
most of the people are huge impact that even a munities. This is a huge Moreover, community
responsible for big busi- social project can make in task, and the whole Wiki plays a very important role
nesses within the educa- the education sector. SWASTHA team of vol- in the success of any proj-
tion sector. Wikipedia unteers works relentlessly ect within our Wikipedia
Project SWASTHA on the Does this entail any to achieve this goal. We ecosystem. When you have
other hand, is a voluntary are hoping that this feat a clear vision in mind, sup-
initiative, focussed to- pressure? will help us further in our port from the community
wards a social impact to Not really. I see this as an outreach to volunteers and and the passion to make a
ensure that health related opportunity to reach our readers, both. difference, you just need
information is available vision more effectively. to keep moving ahead to
in Indic languages, and is Our goal is simple - to en- What is your success achieve your goals. Every
accessible to millions of sure that more and more small step in the right di-
Indian readers. I was not people are aware about mantra? rection has a great impact
sure if I would be a part health issues, on which Working towards a cause sooner or later.
of the list, but it was great they may not find the right with perseverance and

BWBWEDEUDCUACTAITOINONMaMrcAhY-2A0p2r2il 230292 39 WWWW.WBWWE.BDWUCEADTUICOANT.CIOONM.COM

INTERVIEW Aditya Berlia

4400UNDER

“NO STANDARD MAPS TOWARDS
ACHIEVING SUCCESS”

Aditya Berlia, Co-Founder and Pro Chancellor, Apeejay
Stya University and Joint Secretary, Apeejay Education Society believes that his
group’s drive comes from the desire to have long term sustainable impact. “We have
been here for decades and we will continue to be here for decades-long past changing

governments and changing national and international priorities,
he says in this conversation with BW Education’s Upasana.
Interview Excerpts:

What does winning at a This award thus belongs followed. It is a humbling and as we gain recogni-
to a very large group of experience. I am deeply tion, it attracts people to
platform such as the BW people. grateful to the jury and our mission and thus ac-
thankful for all the time complishing our goal be-
40 under 40 for Educa- Any learnings you would they spent for this monu- comes easier and faster.
mental effort. Increased responsibilities
tion and Edtech mean like to share from initia- only mean you are getting
Does it add any pres- further along - and that is a
for you, as an individual tives such as these? great thing.
There are many people sure?
or as founder? who are contributing with The award serves as an What are some of the
I do not think of it as an immense impact. Awards important reminder of
individual award, rather are nice recognitions, but mortality and how little plans you have chalked
I see it is a validation of we must always realise time we have to accom-
the mission, vision, and that for every single per- plish our goals and aspira- out to ensure you stay
hard work of our entire son who wins one award, tions. For me, it is not the
group. While my name there are 10 or more de- validation of an award as on the growth path?
might be upon the award, serving people who will such, but the 40 ceiling Our group’s drive comes
the real credit goes to all go unrecognised despite coming close that adds the from the desire to have
the incredible people who doing great work. Over increased pressure of ac- long-term sustainable
are accomplishing amaz- time, I have learned not to celerating and doubling impact. We have been
ing things every day. As expect or need any award down on crucial work. As here for decades and we
societies, we love to cel- or recognition for continu- an organisation, our goal will continue to be here
ebrate individual accom- ing to do what needs to be is to transform the lives of for decades-long past
plishments over that as a done. However, when they learners everywhere and changing governments
group - because it allows do come along, it is a pleas- every single year counts. and changing national
us to connect on a singu- ant surprise and is deeply The good news always and international pri-
lar human level. However, appreciated especially has been that as we grow orities. Our roadmap
anything worth achiev- when a rigorous process is has always been straight-
ing is the vertical and forward - the use of the
horizontal culmination
of many people’s efforts.

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cal context. We particu-
larly intervene in women
empowerment, health,
eco-system development,
journalism, and public
policy with third party
organisations boosting
our reach.

power of fast iteration and heavy problem solving on be no separate ‘CSR’ so What’s your mantra for
compounding to innovate the way. Thus, we focus on to speak. Apart from
towards our longer-term process excellence to en- our main impact focuses success?
objectives. By building sure we are able to navi- where we positively im- Do not believe in the glitzy
in the iterative nature of gate towards our goals. pact the lives of 35,000 profiles, biographies and
problem solving and path active students, 65,000 interviews. Entrepreneur-
seeking, we are able to de- What are some of the alumni, and a broader ship is rare because it is
fine, learn, and create the things you are doing to base of 250,000 stake- hard and the public ver-
roadmap as we go along. give back to society? holders, we partner with sion of it never quite cap-
There are no standard We consider all our work organizations across the tures the true behind the
maps towards achieving to be in the service of hu- country and the world to scenes efforts and decision
success, and much of what manity and society - and see how we can amplify making. ‘Edupreneurship’
we are trying to do needs therefore there should our efforts into their lo- is even more challenging,
the sector is highly visible
and thus highly regulated,
and this requires a unique
amount of patience and
f lexibility. Further, the
education sector always
has to have a firm ground-
ing in social service, and
non-profit hence edupre-
neurs should be willing to
be paid in appreciation,
and satisfaction, rather
than monetary benefits.
If you do not have a genu-
ine love for learning and
for helping people, and a
willingness to forgo profit
for impact, this sector is
probably not for you.
There is also a very steep
learning curve, and a com-
mon issue is many people
assume because their par-
ents went to school and
college and they went as
well, they understand edu-
cation and its structures.
The rewards, however, for
the arduous journey is well
worth it.

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INTERVIEW Akshay Chaturvedi

“BE OBSESSED WITH CHANGING4400UNDER
THE LIFE OF THOSE YOU SERVE”

Nations are racing to control the spread of the virus; economies have been
grappling with uncertain situations that they probably never predicted and
organisations are having to look and re-look their business plans for now,
and the very near future. In an exclusive conversation with BW Education,
Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder & CEO, Leverage Edu speaks on his mantra for
success and shares his suggestions for aspiring entrepreneurs. He also talks
on being a part of the elite list of BW Education top 40 under 40 in Education
& Ed Tech, saying that it has always been #StudentFirst in the DNA for him.

Edited Excerpts:

Given your several dentFirst in the DNA. is used by over a million important causes.
Do tell us about some people every month. In
successes, do you feel of your community fo- addition to that, we also What is your success
organise offline career mantra?
pressure of increased cussed initiatives? Be obsessed with changing
We operate a free online workshops for students the life of those you serve. It
responsibilities to- career counselling plat- from the less privileged is very simple indeed.
form, as well as a free in- backgrounds, as well as
wards achieving your formation platform that come together as an or- Tell us more about win-
ganisation to donate to ning in an initiative like
goals? the BW Education & Ed
Almost a 100 per cent. Tech 40 under 40?
Every appreciation, in- It feels good to be acknowl-
cluding being among the edged for the work we are
BW Education top 40 un- doing. Most importantly,
der 40 in Education & Ed what I personally treasure,
Tech, directly correlates is the opportunity that I
with customers trusting us got to spend time with the
more, which is why we ex- most distinguished jury
ist, to be able to make each ever put together in the
one of these students and Indian education world.
families win and be able to There is so much to learn
completely transform their from them, about how to
future. impact, about how to scale
innovations.
What are some of your
Were you expecting to
plans or roadmap to be be a part of this premier
league?
among the top seeds in Not really. I am 30, so I
honestly thought this is
your domain? sometime further off.
While ‘roadmap’ is a
heavy word, the simplest
and effective thing is to
just hear from the student
every day, make their ex-
perience a notch better all
the time, bring in innova-
tion, and always be #Stu-

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BW EDUCATION MAY 2022 43 WWW.BWEDUCATION.COM

INTERVIEW Arpit Jain

“Staying In This4400UNDER
Learner Mindset”

Arpit Jain, the CEO & Co-founder at Splashlearn stresses on the
importance of learning, stating that whether it’s learning something
new or learning new things about what you already do, it’s important
to stay in the learner mindset, in this interview with BW Education’s

Upasana. Edited Excerpts:

How do you keep your- out the fear of failure or you busy with? ket share in these three
backing out. geographies.
self motivated? The education sector is
It is crucial in life to never Young and aspiring at an inflection point and SplashLearn’s modular
stop learning. Whether it edupreneurs should keep we have explored just a tech architecture gives us
is learning something new their fundamentals solid, tiny part of the iceberg. great agility and the abil-
or learning new things know their strength ar- The size and scope of the ity to launch the product
about what you already eas and focus on creating global EdTech market is in any country in just 20
do, it is all important to a differentiator for their constantly growing and days. We already have
stay in this learner mind- company. Start with some evolving. In the face of users in more than 150
set all the time. For me, thorough research. It is the current pandemic, countries but plan to of-
SplashLearn is not only crucial to have a full un- digital learning has be- fer custom curriculum-
about achieving success. derstanding of the mar- come even more relevant aligned products for each
It is about creating the ket and the competitors. and acceptable. As of region in the future.
most engaging and ef- Proper research can save now, most of our revenue
fective learning program a lot of time and money comes from the US. But Does it help in your
that kids will absolutely in the long run. I say this SplashLearn has re-
love. It is about leveraging from experience. cently been localised and plans to win an ap-
modern technology for launched in Canada, UK
helping children develop a What are some of the and Australia and we are preciation like the BW
growth mindset and mak- looking to grow our mar-
ing them fearless learners. next steps we will see 40 under 40 award for

The other thing that is Education & EdTech?
of immense importance It is amazing to get this
to me is working with
the people I like. My co- “The education sector is at an
founders and my team re- inflection point and we have explored
main my biggest source of just a tiny part of the iceberg. The size
inspiration and my stron-
gest supporters as well. and scope of the global Ed-Tech
With my co-founders, I market is constantly growing and
can just take up greater
challenges and risks with- evolving”

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award and be part of BW and prestige to feature way. I am glad to be con- as encouragement and
Education’s prestigious 40 amongst such amazing nected to this ecosystem acknowledgment of our
under 40 Club of Achiev- innovators and disrupters because it’s a great learning efforts towards building
ers. I see this award as a from the EdTech space. opportunity. equity, access and qual-
recognition of our pas- ity education for all. This
sion for innovation in What were some Does it increase your tells us that we are on the
education and acceptance right track.
of the pressing need to thoughts when you responsibilities when
bring about change in Anything special you
the education space. It is were entering to com- you win an award like
an acknowledgment for are doing as part of
me, my team, and our vi- pete at this platform? this?
sion of changing the lives At the time, we were not Winning the BW Educa- your CSR initiatives?
of 1B+ kids by making expecting anything but we tion’s 40 Under 40 Award is We were working with
them fearless learners certainly were hoping to be definitely a great honour. As a couple of schools in
for life. part of the premier league/ far as the added responsi- North-East India till last
BW Education’s 40 under bilities go, I see that in a dif- year, and had plans to
I would like to thank 40 awards brought to- ferent way. At SplashLearn, scale them up this year.
BW Education for concep- gether such a diverse group we are solving the problem The initiative is on hold as
tualising these awards. It is of EdTech entrepreneurs, that we believe has the big- of now, but we soon would
a matter of immense pride each of whom is chang- gest potential of bringing like to resume as soon as
ing the face of education about a positive impact in the situation allows.
and learning in a different the world. I see the award

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4400UNDER INTERVIEW Arpit Panjwani

“Set Benchmarks tiatives more closely. I’ve
For Yourself” been contacted by mul-
tiple people on LinkedIn
Arpit Panjwani, Director, MAMS highlights how already to ask for collab-
important it is to think of education as a way to con- orations and guidance.
With that, I ought to be a
tribute towards nation building lot clearer about my own
goals knowing fully well
that I now have heightened
expectations. For me, it is
more about setting bench-
marks for yourself rather
than following others’ ex-
pectations. That said, I’ve
definitely become a lot
more alert and invigorated
ever since I got the award.

How does it feel to re- may have achieved great However, the foremost ob- What’s your roadmap
results and there’s always jective is always to go out
ceive such an apprecia- room for improvement and learn from the experi- for reaching the top-
in what I seek to achieve, ence, interactions and ap-
tion like a 40 under 40 there is merit in my can- plication process. notch in your area?
didature especially when I think my foremost
award? one considers that I work After having this strengths are my positiv-
I am truly delighted and at grassroots with an un- feather added to your ity and persistence, hence
humbled to receive such derserved audience. The cap, are you reeling my roadmap is definitely
a prestigious recognition journey has been tough under the pressure of associated with it. My
from an established media but I can safely admit that increased responsibili- mission is to bring about
house. What made it all the we’ve come a long way in ties towards achieving educational equity by fa-
more special was the op- having tremendously im- your goals? cilitating contemporary
portunity to interact with proved learning outcomes There is no pressure what- skill-based education at
stalwarts in the education and created social impact soever. I do acknowledge affordable rates amongst
space. I am incredibly along the way. Given the that such recognitions the unserved and under-
grateful to BW Business- landmarks we’ve achieved, put you in the spotlight served communities. A key
world for considering me I did humbly expect to be because people begin to feature of my modus ope-
worthy of this award and I part of this premier league. look at your work and ini- randi is to upscale myself
accept it with humility on in sync with the require-
behalf of my entire team. ments of time and look for
possible collaborations
Were you expecting to with experts and CSR

be a part of this premier “My mission is to bring about
educational equity by facilitating
league?
To be honest, I am an eter- contemporary skill-based
nal optimist and I always education at affordable rates
believe that I can win,
given the right mindset, amongst the unserved and
approach, commitment underserved communities”
and hard work. I do be-
lieve I have created a niche
for myself and the educa-
tional model we follow at
my schools. While others

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partners who can help me varied exposure sessions pursue their educational tion, a gender-balanced
scale my ventures to help and student-led commu- aspirations under the ‘Beti workforce with equal pay
create a wider impact. nity work initiatives which Bachao, Beti Padhao’ pro- and the inspired partici-
are in alignment with the gramme. pation of girls in sports
What are your CSR ini- sustainable development -- all of these contribute to
tiatives? goals set by the UNO. I The self-help groups gender equality and cohe-
I take tremendous pride am committed to ensure to promote women entre- siveness. I encourage the
in having maintained the gender equality and Maa preneurship as well as skill entire MAMS family to
ethos, vision and mission Anandmayee Memorial development, the equality support the Robin Hood
with which the school was School (MAMS) offers club in association with army in mitigating their
set up by the Founder. A various schemes to en- Oxfam India, our women endeavour to reduce hun-
yearly planner consists of courage young women to empowerment workshops ger, and the school mess
towards gender sensitisa- contributes monthly ra-
tion towards this objec-
tive.

Through collabora-
tions with NGOs that are
experts in this domain, I
wholeheartedly encour-
age environmental con-
servation and experiential
learning programmes.

What is your mantra for

success and what are

your suggestions for

aspiring edupreneurs?
My late grandfather, the
Founder of MAMS is un-
doubtedly my foremost in-
spiration whose blessings
and community-centric
ideologies are what I try to
emulate. I think it is that
people-first mindset and
an inherent desire to do
something good that can
leave a dent that I can be
remembered for is what
contributes to my success.

Besides the usual ad-
vice relating to focus and
commitment, my sug-
gestions to aspiring edu-
preneurs is to have their
heart in the right place.
Do not treat education as
a mere business proposi-
tion but think of it as a
way to impact lives and
contribute towards na-
tion building.

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4400UNDER INTERVIEW Ayush Bansal

“Be Persistent In Your career guidance with
Mission” FoWCA (Future of Work,
Commerce, Arts) based
Ayush Bansal, Founder & CEO, iDreamCareer career skilling platform
says he wasn’t surprised but humbled on making it iDX.education and scale
our intervention to 50
to the elite list of awardees million students by 2022.

How does it feel to re- What are your CSR ini-

ceive such an apprecia- tiatives?
We work with 10 state
tion like a 40 under 40 governments currently
and will be scaling this to
award? 15 state governments with
It’s incredible to receive support from UNICEF
such an appreciation. It India. Our work impacts
has been a long hard- students from the lowest-
fought journey for us income families and the
since the last eight years remotest government
while building a career schools. We have a 20 per
guidance accessible plat- cent contribution in this
form via iDreamCareer. partnership and contin-
com for all students in ue to contribute further
India and getting such in order to make career
appreciation really keeps guidance accessible to
us going in our mission. the lowest income family
students in our country.
Were you expecting to by the jury. And we are your goals?
thankful to the Jury Com- Absolutely. With any What’s your mantra for
be a part of this premier mittee, and especially the such recognition, there is
Chairman Dr Anil Sahas- more responsibility for us success and what’re
league? rabudhe. to further put in effort in
I was not only very sure our mission to make ca- your suggestions for
but confident too. Hon- After having this reer guidance accessible
estly, I was not very sur- feather added to your for every student in India, aspiring entrepre-
prised but humbled when cap, are you reeling irrespective of their socio-
I was informed on mak- under the pressure of economic background. neurs?
ing it in the 40 Under 40 increased responsibili- Be persistent in your mis-
list as I was sure that the ties towards achieving What’s your roadmap sion and start an educa-
impact we have made in tion enterprise only if you
the life of 15.1 million stu- for reaching the top- are very passionate. These
dents would get noticed two things helped me sail
notch in your area? through the toughest
“Our roadmap ahead is to combine Basis the number of time, especially when we
career guidance with FoWCA students we work with know that an education
currently, we are the enterprise takes at least
(Future of Work, Commerce, Arts) largest career guidance 3X longer to achieve suc-
based career skilling platform iDX. organisation in the coun- cess in India, as compared
try, serving 15.1 million to any other sector busi-
education and scale our students. Our roadmap ness. Also, get into the
intervention to 50 million students ahead is to combine business of education
not only for money but
by 2022” to solve a large problem
that can take our students
ahead in the journey to-
wards making a success-
ful career.

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INTERVIEW Devishobha Chandramouli After receiving this

“Do what it takes”4400UNDER accolade, do you an-

Devishobha Chandramouli, Founder, Kidskintha shares her jour- ticipate more pressure
ney to becoming a part of the elite list of top 40 under 40 winners
when it comes to meet-
How critical were the formation here, but every  DEVISHOBHA
challenge successfully CHANDRAMOULI, ing your goals?
last couple of months surmounted becomes an Not really. One of the perks
opportunity. My key moti- Founder of being an entrepreneur is
for your business? vation is to not leave things Kidskintha that you define the direc-
Kidskintha’s work started unfinished, so I tell myself tion and pace of your work.
off as building an authentic to pull the extra weight in How does it feel to bag I believe in setting the pace
resource hub for conscious terms of crisis. a BW Education top 40 for stability. So, there’s no
parents and educators. under 40 award? pressure. We are working
Reaching people online, It feels great, and for me, it as always.
conducting online work- has opened up an ecosys-
shops, and hosting virtual tem of fellow edupreneurs. Where do you see your
summits has been part of It has brought us one step
our work for a long time. closer to the overall educa- firm five years from
So essentially, our model tional goals of our country
has not changed after the and made us understand now?
pandemic. We did have a how each of us is con- Our goal is to deliver qual-
lot of people pivot to the tributing to those goals. ity content. Looking at the
digital space, and it sud- In a sense, I feel that we pace of change, I think the
denly increased the scope are all working towards best thing now for entre-
for collaborations, so stay- nation-building, and it preneurs would be to keep
ing up to speed and de- gives me immense sat- themselves agile for adap-
livering quality became isfaction. Thanks to BW tation. I would like for us
more critical. Businessworld for build- to have expanded on our
ing this small but powerful initiatives and worked on
What motivates you in community. many more meaningful
projects that would deliver
times of crisis, do you true value to our children.

see it as an opportunity Do you have a mantra

or a challenge? for success?
I am sure this is no new in- My mantra is simple: “Do
what it takes.” Often it re-
“One of the perks of being quires learning entirely
an entrepreneur is that new things. It requires
you define the direction doing boring things. It re-
and pace of your work. I quires stepping up and do-
ing uncomfortable things.
believe in setting the pace I am an introvert and very
for stability” camera-shy, but I learned
to get out and get in front
of the camera.

What piece of advice

would you give to aspir-

ing edupreneurs?
Being an entrepreneur
means shedding your
comfort skin almost every
day. Learn what it takes.
Then do it.

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INTERVIEW Kavish Gadia

“PANDEMIC A TEST FOR4400UNDER
ENTREPRENEURS”

In an exclusive interaction with BW Businessworld, Kavish Gadia, Co-founder & CEO,
Stones2Milestones, talks about his mantra for success

I How critical were the independent of what we me feel even more respon- cap, are you reeling
face at any moment. This sible towards actualising
last couple of months has always made me feel and maximising my po- under the pressure of
in control of the situation tential in serving all the
for your business? and make the best pos- roles that I play in life. Re- increased responsibili-
As an educator, the pan- sible choice. As a leader of cently, an award-winning
demic has been a true test an institution responsible author, Megha Bajaj pub- ties towards achieving
for social entrepreneurs to for more than 250 families lished her next book ‘The
act with a fine balance be- and over 200,000 learn- Breakthrough’ covering 11 your goals?
tween ‘being responsible ers, this is super critical to lives and I am one of the 11 The most potent fuel for
to serve all segments of operate with mindfulness people. On receiving this unleashing human poten-
users’ and ‘racing to reach anytime. In fact, one of recognition, my first feel- tial is self-motivation. And
larger numbers’. This has my mentors has replaced ing was of gratitude. Of the this self-motivation is di-
been our biggest success the word ‘challenging’ to 1000s of people who cre- rectly a function of what’s
given the culture and val- ‘interesting’ in my vocabu- ate magic in the world out the purpose of your life,
ues with which Stones- lary. there every day, I got the what’s the goal/vision that
2Milestones has been built opportunity to be written you work for. It’s a bless-
over more than a decade, How it feels to receive and talked about. How- ing that I had the courage
it’s always the user first. ever the right next feeling to listen to my heart early
The second very critical such an apprecia- was, how I can retain that in my career to dedicate
area of stepping up for us deservingness every day -- myself to education. The
was to serve the schools tion like a 40 under 40 by simply showing up with vision of offering a terrific
who were stranded in the my best every day. blend of noble-hearted
midst of the pandemic award? able-minded leaders to the
and yet accelerate towards Any milestone, recogni- After having this world through my work in
B2C, given learners were tion or success in any as- education drives me ev-
at home. As a company pect of life is simply a new feather added to your ery single day. I am truly
with 98 per cent revenue starting point. In fact, grateful to BW Business-
from B2B till March 2020, each such moment makes world for this recognition
now over 60 per cent rev- which would also inspire
enues are from B2C, which
was a much-needed shift. “By being grateful to all the good
that’s happening in this journey
What motivates you in independent of the magnitude of

the times of crisis, do challenges is what keeps one
going”
you see it as an oppor-

tunity or a challenge?
One of the core personal
values for me is to choose
to feel on top of the world

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