In this edition of The Knowledge Review, "The Most Admired Women In Educational Sector For India" that is helping the education world

1. The
In Educational
Sector For India
2022
Admired
Manisha
Gupta
Raising the Bar for Ushering
Dynamic Education Pedagogies
for a Community’s Enrichment
Promoter
#Pen to Paper
Women: The Backbone of
Today's Education System
#Changing Education
How The Bangle Transformed
Our Schooling Pedagogy
www.theknowledgereview.com
Vol. 03 | Issue 02 | 2022
Vol. 03 | Issue 02 | 2022
Vol. 03 | Issue 02 | 2022
India

4. The
Admiration
that Inspires!
Before you start flipping through the pages of this
magazine, I want you to ask yourselves one
question, 'What inspires you or humans?'. The very
first thought that you think of as your inspiration is
probably your goals, dreams, or something that keeps you
motivated to climb the stairway to success.
It is not wrong what a person thinks, but during the
hardships, lows, and uncertain times, it is not a thing but the
story of admiration that helps us keep moving. Many stories
have influenced millions of people around the world to
work and excel in their desired fields.
Though the wise of the long-forgotten world emphasised on
the stories of heroes and gods, the real inspiration that

5. drove the change came from the outer circles. When the
world was focusing on rights and wrongs, women incepted
the concept of equality into the younger generation's minds,
which laid the foundation of the current trend wave of
'Global Village'.
Living in the most peaceful era of humankind, thinking and
talking about wars can be a little tilting in favour of an
ideology. However, when the men were busy fighting wars,
it was the women who faced the horrors of it silently. But
being the resilient personality that a woman is, she realised
that education is the key to a peaceful world through the
ages of suppression, which even the leaders who started and
the corporates who fueled the wars promised.
Unlike other parts of the world, India had a different story
portrayed. India was fighting two wars, the Indian War of
Independence and the World War, alongside the Britishers.
Inspired by the likes of Rajamata Jijabai Shahji Bhosle and
Rani Lakshibai, women in India, rather than fighting wars,
decided to uproot the problems by tool given to us by
Britishers - education.
Today, India is a country where women drive the country's
untapped economic potential; it is also a place where people
have considered women a strong foothold for development
through history, mythology, and beliefs. Suppose anyone is
to be credited for the quality education in India, in that case,
it should be women, as their stories inspired not only
women but also men to educate and contribute to the
changing dynamics of the Indian education system.
India has always had a culture to name its universities with
prominent, inspiring and admiring personalities. The city of
Pune, also known as the Oxford of the East, has named one
of the most prestigious universities in the country after
Savatribai Phule. It is not a coincidence that the educational
hub of the country has a women's prefix; moreover, it would
be surprising if it didn't. She has been an inspiration for
many women, and she is the reason why women in India
today are getting equal educational opportunities as men.
With time many prominent names came forward to enhance
and promote the importance of education to the masses.
Though there have been men that influence society, the
influence of women has been so phenomenal that their
legacy is still inspiring the youth and attracting the masses
to education.
The Knowledge Review magazine, with a similar vision to
find The Most Admired Women in Educational Sector
for India, 2022, came up with this booklet carefully curated
with the stories of some of the finest women educators in
India, transforming the education sector for good.
In this edition, you will find the articles that indicate the
significance of women in the Indian education system and
stories from this new age of prominent women educators
like Ms. Manisha Gupta. This edition is released as a
tribute, thanking all the women educators in India who are
admired and inspiring millions in the field of education,
both as students and teachers.
Have an inspiring read!
Editor’s Note
Ashlesh Khadse
ashlesh.khadse@insightssuccess.com
Ashlesh Khadse

6. Saroj Khosla
An Eminent Educator Focused on
Excellence and Innovation
Aiswarya Sivanesh
An Exceptional Educator with a Zeal to Uphold
Education and Constant Learning
Dr. Madhavi Dharankar
Opening Education for a Better World
Dr. Priyanka Joshi More
An Inspiring Educator Nurturing Students and
Transforming Lives
Meenakshi Ramesh
The Cultivated Leader and the Advocate for
Holistic Education
An Educator's Lifelong
Endeavour

7. Manisha
Gupta
Raising the Bar for Ushering
Dynamic Education Pedagogies for a
Community’s Enrichment
#Changing Education
How the Bangle Transformed our
Schooling Pedagogy
#Pen to Paper
Women: The Backbone of Today's
Education System

8. Copyright © 2022 Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd., All
rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should
not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
prior permission from Insights success. Reprint rights remain solely
with Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. The Knowledge
Review is powered by Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd.
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9. Ms. Manisha Gupta
Promoter
Dr. Priyanka Joshi More
Assistant Professor
Ms. Madhavi
Dharankar
Associate Professor
Ms. Meenakshi
Ramesh
Director
Ms. Manisha Gupta strives to build an eco-
system to juxtapose with the wave of new
learning pedagogies, creativity and talent.
Ms. Meenakshi Ramesh has spent 35 years
as an influential educator, completing the
educators' arc from being an inspiring
teacher to an eminent principal.
Ms. Srividya Reddy
Vice Chairman
Prof. Sonal Jain
Professor
Ms. Srividya Reddy is an educator,
entrepreneur, Social Activist and
Community Volunteer catering to
enhancing the education system.
With 22 years of hands-on experience in key perfor-
mance areas like management & administration, Mrs.
Aruna Katara has dedicated herself to providing
equal education to not-so-privileged students of the
community through Hope Foundation.
Prof. Sonal Jain is an inspiring educator who
empowers education and technology to
create a lineage that will benefit the future of
the nation.
Smt. Saroj Khosla
Founder President
and Trustee
Smt Saroj Khosla has been shaping the
young minds for her entire life, and through
her dream project FLSBM, she caters to hope
students' talent and skills for the global world.
Mrs. Aruna Katara
President
Aiswarya Sivanesh
CEO
With her admirable approach to innovative
teaching, Ms. Madhavi Dharankar has
enhanced and eased technological
education for her students.
Dr. Jotyi Gupta
Head of School
Brief
Person in Focus
Aiswarya Sivanesh in an exceptional
educator who founded TANGO Academy to
help stuednts realie and explore their
potential.
Dr. Priyanka Joshi More is an inspiring
educator nurturing and transforms student's
lives with dedication and persistence.
Dr. Joyti Gupta heads the K R Mangalam
World Schook with pride as an eminent
educator.
Vels Group of
Schools
Department of
Educational Technology
Progressive Education
Societys Modern College
of Arts, Science and
Commerce
Manaskriti School,
a progressisive
K-12 school
G Narayanamma
Institute of Technology
& Sciences
Department of Computer
Science Engineering,
JK Lakshmipat
University, Jaipur
FLSBM, Shoolini
Institute, Shimla
Hope Foundation
and Research Centre
TANGO
Academy of India
K.R. Mangalam World
School, Greater Kailash
Name of the Institute
The
In Educational Sector
For India 2022
Admired
Most

10. Manisha
Gupta
Raising the Bar for Ushering Dynamic Education
Pedagogies for a Community’s Enrichment
Promoter

12. Women are the symbol of
strength, power, growth,
and empowerment. In
today’s age, they stand shoulder-to-
shoulder with men in every industry
and domain. Many successful women
have made tremendous
accomplishments in the field of
education. They have introduced
revolutionary transformations in
teaching–learning procedures, while
ensuring that each student succeeds
academically and builds a bright career
for themselves.
An inspirational personality in the field
of education, who has made a massive
impact through her dedicated
endeavours is Manisha Gupta, the
Promoter of Manaskriti School. She
feels that to be an educationist, one has
to forgo the stereotypes that they have
been raised with. They must juxtapose
the wave of new learning pedagogies,
the talents, the creativity, and the
passion with today’s desideratum.
The dynamism of Ms Manisha’s
parents comes as a part of a legacy to
her, giving back to society in the form
of raising a literate community being
central to her upbringing ideals. Hence,
she has always striven to raise the bar
for ushering dynamic education
pedagogies for a community’s
enrichment.
“With two of our premier and oldest
schools in the Faridabad region- Vidya
Mandir Public School and Vidya
Niketan School, my vision unfolds the
most in Manaskriti, where I have
rooted the values of sanskar and pyaar
through gyaan as a mode of seeping
into Indian diaspora, embedded in
international methods of robust yet key
methods of cognitive child development
strategies,” shares Ms Manisha. The
journey is ongoing, and she is
metamorphosing to best of her
abilities.
Inspiration Behind Success
Ms Manisha expresses her gratitude
and respect towards her family for the
strength and support they consistently
provided her with. She believes that
especially for women, their progress
begins at home. She has always
regarded family being the nucleus of
one’s outward progress.
Ms Manisha expresses, “The stepping
stones for my entrée into education
industry was well chartered by the
unswerving ideals of my parents.
Beginning with my father who was an
entrepreneur and an educationist, my
mother who balanced her life between
an educationist and in being her key
self, being a mother.”
She feels humbled to acknowledge that
her pursuit as an educationist is the
vision and legacy bequeathed to her by
her parents, to which she is only adding
wings of creativity. “Well, apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree, I am glad
to be the apple of such a visionary and
dynamic family,” shares Ms Manisha.
Redefining Learning Procedures
As the global education community
strives to support the students through
online methods, Ms Manisha strives
towards building an ecosystem, a niche
for her school family. As an
educationist, she has focused on the
creation of a community which looks at
innovation and creation for the young
learners. It may be in the form of
regenerating learning through plays,
continual interaction with the teaching
staff, laying foundation to the building
of the school’s organic garden,
experiential labs, online discussions,
and so on.
W
The Most Admired Women In Educational Sector For India 2022

13. About Manaskriti School
With the intent of nurturing deep
thinking and self-belief, Manaskriti
School believes in an experiential
learning process. The experiences are
value driven and authentic. These
empower the learners to be passionate
and mindful of their inner strength and
are interwoven with the entire learning
community to positively impact
society.
At Manaskriti, the natural curiosity of
learners is encouraged. Students are
nurtured to think independently,
consider different views and ideas, and
reflect on their learning to follow their
dreams and turn passions into reality.
The curriculum framework at
Manaskriti emphasizes deep learning
and realistic experiences through
classroom discussions, integrated labs,
collaborative projects, problem solving

14. opportunities, and a comprehensive
and regular assessment program.
Beyond the core academic classwork,
the school’s curriculum emphasizes on
skills that are the building blocks of the
young minds. These include
organisational skills, creativity,
time-management, presentation and
expression, relevant discussions, and
so on.
The design thinking lab, integrated
science lab, makers lab, pretend play
zone, theatre, pottery barn, and
learning studios are tangible resources
provided to the students to supplement
the experiential pedagogy.
The curriculum is taught by
experienced educators who use
innovative instructional methods to
design and deliver classroom
experiences that capture the
students’ interests and inspire life-long
learning.
Overcoming Challenges with
Efficiency
As per Ms Manisha, no success comes
without facing challenges. However,
the way one perceives their challenges,
defines their journey towards their
destination. Ms. Manisha always
sported her hurdles as challenges
through which she would be able to
learn something new, to be equipped
against its future impact.
She expresses, “Leadership for women
seems like a perception to me, but
surely it is a gradual process as with
the ever-expanding opportunities of
working from home, has become a way
of the world.” Ms Manisha further
expresses that women have to broaden
their horizon of the stereotypical image
of running only home and taking care
of kids.
Working Together for Better
Learning Outcomes
Ms Manisha shares that the last 2 years
will always be remembered as the
zeitgeist which revamped our whole
idea of existence. “72 years into the
Post Independent era and we saw
people coming from all walks of life,
relying on the conventional,
sometimes, obsolete methods of
sustenance,” she states.

15. Ms Manisha further expresses that to
exist in harmony, to work for and
survive for the greater good, and to
work as a force always felt like the
cultural patent of corporate giants. But
the year 2020 and 2021 taught us not
only survival but resilience and
gratitude.
She assisted in extending support to
teachers, support staff, drivers, and
maids and guards financially and
emotionally in their hard times. She
expressed, “This had been a phase of
experience where to embed these
metaphors of resilience and gratitude
outsized my life as a leader of my
workforce.” Ms Manisha has always
known all her staff members. But, in
these last two years, she got to know
their families as well. She feels that it
brought everyone closer to each other
not only as a team but as a bigger
family.
In her opinion, education is not only
about providing knowledge, but also
the ability to spread wisdom and
compassion through learning to the
community.
Words of Inspiration
Ms Manisha believes that education is
a transformative journey of learning
and the true joy of learning does not
showcase through the marks and
grades that children get, but the true
success stories that they write in their
life.
Ms Manisha suggests that students
should remain flexible to the ever-
changing diaspora of education and
evolve themselves to adapt to the new
emerging trends. However, in doing so,
they should not lose the true essence of
education which means to bring about
a society that is culturally strong and
united.
Taking the Next Step
Ms Manisha states that Manaskriti’s
philosophy is built on the belief that
students learn best when they have a
strong sense of belonging to their
classrooms and have pride in their
school. “Manaskriti minds are
encouraged to be active independent
learners, who set goals, and challenge
themselves in order to achieve personal
excellence,” she opines. Under Ms
Manisha’s guidance, the school strives
to provide a supportive, nurturing, and
challenging learning environment for
students to build their learning.
Furthermore, the school’s management
believes in the idea, ‘It takes a village
to raise a child’. “We strongly value the
relationships that we build to help raise
happy and successful children,”
expresses Ms Manisha.

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The Knowledge Review

18. An Eminent Educator Focused on
Excellence and Innovation
SarojKhosla
Mrs. Saroj Khosla
Foundation for Life Sciences and
Business Management;
Chairperson, Shoolini Institute of
Life Sciences and Business
Management
The education sector in India has evolved manifolds while
opening doors of equal opportunities to males and
females. In today’s age, women have complete freedom
to pursue any course they want and build a successful career in
any field of their choice. Moreover, women have also made a
mark in the education sector. They have emerged as successful
mentors and educators while nurturing the students and assisting
them to become the leaders of tomorrow.
T
16 | March 2022

19. from a family that is deeply committed
to the teaching profession. After
graduating from St. Stephen’s College
in Delhi, Mrs. Saroj’s father Mr. M.L.
Handa moved to Lahore to study law.
However, he changed his mind and
decided to become a teacher. He firmly
believed that girls should be educated
so that they can be independent and
become assets for their families rather
than liabilities. He was a renowned
educationist and an upright man who
served as a role model for Mrs. Saroj
and inspired her to choose the noble
profession of teaching. Her three
sisters went on to become teachers,
while the fourth one pursued a career
in medicine. Her paternal uncle, who
was the press secretary to Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, India's first President, also
encouraged the siblings’ decision to
pursue higher studies.
Prof Prem Kumar Khosla, Mrs Saroj’s
husband and an internationally
distinguished academician, provided
unwavering support throughout her
teaching career. Prof Khosla has added
new dimensions to higher education
and research in Indian Universities. He
With their never-give-up attitude and
dedicated endeavours, these
prominent women are changing the
face of the education sector as we
know it. One such prominent
personality among the league of
renowned women educational leaders
is Mrs. Saroj Khosla, the President
of the Foundation for Life Sciences
and Business Management.
A postgraduate from the University
of Oxford in the United Kingdom,
Mrs. Saroj is an educationist with
extensive experience in managing
academic organisations. She comes
has served as Vice-Chancellor, HPAU,
Palampur (HP), and as Senior
Scientific Advisor to the Government
of Himachal Pradesh and has been
responsible for guiding its science
policy. He became the first Vice-
Chancellor of the Shoolini University
and is presently its Chancellor.
Prof. Khosla and Mrs. Khosla
complemented each other throughout
their academic journeys. In 1972, they
went to the U.K., where Prof. Khosla
conducted post-doctoral research in
tree genetics at Oxford University on a
Commonwealth Fellowship for three
years. Mrs. Khosla took advantage of
her husband’s visit by enrolling in a
one-year course on international
education at the same university.
An Inspirational Journey
The Khoslas have shown an
inspirational sense of initiative and
entrepreneurial acumen in their over
four decades of untiring work. When
people prefer to retire from active work
and spend quiet time at home, they
took a calculated risk to invest their
lifetime savings in establishing a not-
An Educator's Lifelong Endeavour
My prime
objective is to
ensure the
academic
welfare
development of
the students.
www.theknowledgereview.com | 17

20. for-profit organization after retiring
from their respective jobs. They set up
the Foundation for Life Sciences and
Business Management (FLSBM) in
2004 with a mission to provide
affordable quality education to the
youth from rural and semi-urban areas
of Himachal Pradesh. They were
focused on their vision of using science
as a tool to empower the marginal
farmers of Himachal Pradesh. They
emphasised the research and study of
the state's biodiversity for
environmental conservation. Moreover,
they are passionate about creating a
globally recognized and world-class
private university. Their thinking has
been ahead of time and has always
been followed up with result-oriented
action.
A Responsible and Dynamic Leader
Mrs. Saroj Khosla is the President of
the FLSBM, which was founded with
the aim of using frontier areas of bio
and management sciences for the
socio-economic upliftment of
Himalayan people in general, and
Himachal Pradesh in particular. The
Foundation’s primary goal is to
develop high-quality human resources
in biotechnology, basic and applied
sciences, engineering, liberal arts and
their integration with management
disciplines.
The FLSBM manages two prestigious
educational institutions: Shoolini
Institute of Life Sciences and Business
Management (SILB), founded in 2004,
and the Shoolini University of
Biotechnology and Business
Management, established in 2009.
Mrs. Khosla is also the Chairperson
of SILB, which is the most prestigious
institution of Himachal Pradesh
University. She is an educationist who
is self-motivated and result-oriented.
She retired from the Himachal Pradesh
Education Services as Principal of the
District Institute of Education and
Training in Solan, where she was
involved in the academic excellence of
pre and in-service teachers. She firmly
believes in the great educator Gurudev
Rabindranath Tagore's philosophy of
“Where the mind is fearless, and the
head is held high.” According to her,
highly dedicated teachers give their
very best to their students, and students
learn the best practices, allowing them
to become virtuous citizens of the
nation.
She has been conferred with the
prestigious ‘Academic Excellence
Award’ by Adoption of Social Media in
Academia (ASMA), the leading global
Mrs. Khosla welcoming former President of India, Late Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam to Shoolini University at the First Convocation in 2013
18 | March 2022

21. community of Academia. “Your
leadership in the field of education
is extraordinary,” said the citation
presented to Mrs Khosla as part of
its initiative on the ‘Trailblazing
women leaders in Indian
education’.
Believer in Family Values and
Students’ Welfare
Mrs. Khosla believes in family
values. This is evident from the fact
that she and her sisters always took
good care of their mother and did
not leave her alone even for a day,
despite their own family and
professional commitments.
Students’ welfare and their
education is very dear to her heart.
She is especially passionate about
building their careers. Mrs. Khosla
opines that the New Education
Policy (NEP) would provide
academic freedom to students for
pursuing the subjects of their
interest and a holistic education.
Both Prof Khosla and Mrs Khosla
belong to Parmahansa Yogananda
Order and have fully imbibed their
guru’s teachings.
Chancellor PK Khosla, Saroj
Khosla and Vice Chancellor
Atul Khosla water a newly
planted sapling in Shoolini
University campus
#environment
About Shoolini University
Shoolini University was established in
2009 by academicians with a very clear
vision to be amongst the top 200 global
universities by 2022. To realise this
bold ambition, significant efforts were
made in the areas of research, teaching
and learning, and the creation of
world-class infrastructure. Because of
I am passionate
about nurturing
the students and
in ensuring that
they succeed in
their careers.
www.theknowledgereview.com | 19

22. its advantageous location in the
Himalayas, Shoolini University
decided to concentrate all its research
operations in and around the
Himalayas, and research centres of
excellence were established to that end.
Various national and international
agencies have recognized the
university’s research potential, which
have funded several competitive
research projects, totalling more than
Rs 40 crore. The varsity is also
assisting industries through
consultancy projects. Its research
quality indicators, such as Field
Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI)
(2.04), citations per publication (13.5),
and percent international collaboration
(57.8%), have always been at the top
of the Indian education and research
institutions. However, the university is
now competing with some of the best
in the world. Shoolini is one of India’s
top patent filers, having filed 800+
patents, 100 of which have been
granted. Its current h-index is 82,
which is the second highest of all
institutions and universities established
after 2009.
In the 2021 NIRF-MHRD Rankings,
Shoolini University was placed 89th
out of the top 100 institutions in the
country, with the School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences at 36th, the
Faculty of Management at 76-100, and
the School of Engineering at 103rd.
The university is ranked first in the
country and sixth in Asia in the QS
Asia 2022 rankings for citations per
publication, a sign of high-quality
research.
The campus was awarded one of
India’s top cleanest campuses in the
Swachh Bharat Survey 2020 and
Yogananda Library has won several
national and international architectural
awards.
Founders of Shoolini University: Saroj
Khosla and Chancellor PK Khosla
20 | March 2022

24. Mrs. Aiswarya
Sivanesh
An educationist
should be cheerful
with the students
forgetting their age
and give their best to
them.
“
“
22 | March 2022

25. Sivanesh
Tell us about your esteemed
institute’s mission, vision, and core
values.
Mission: As every parent wishes to
give their child the right education of
their choice, Tango Academy of India
insists on planting a tree. While they
grow up with their education, we
follow the same through Tango
Greenage program.
Vision: To empower Tango Academy
of India to be a prestigious and highly
established forum on Art, Values,
Science, and Cultural Learning
Worldwide.
Core Values: We teach our students
the values of nature where they are
expected to be courteous and give back
the right things to mother earth.
What are the priorities of your
institute in terms of course
objectives and learning outcomes?
We emphasize nurturing the child to be
a good human by heart and mind.
Eventually, we prepare them to attain
excellence in a domain of their choice.
Kindly share your views regarding
interactive, online educational
content and how it is redefining the
ways we learn.
India, just by the name TANGO where
we started a summer camp for kids
during holidays. Later, we taught kids
about Art, Crafts, Yoga, and Languages
regularly. Now, we train kids with
various courses, including Abacus
Online Tutoring. We also home school
children.
What inspired you to step into the
education industry? Who were your
role models growing up?
When I understood the term ‘Ladder’ –
a teacher is called a ladder because she
is selfless in making her students climb
up and unlock the door called
opportunity. Such a teacher can
educate the child with values and
morals that even a parent or a family
member can’t give. As education is the
key to wisdom, I became an
educationist.
My role model is my first ever teacher,
my mom, who taught me about
different things right from the day of
my birth. Again, the most inspiring
story was about Dr. Radha Krishnan
and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam former
Presidents of our country who
remained humble teachers throughout
their lifetimes and earned the love of
lakhs of students.
Perseverance, dedication,
compassion, and a never-give-
up attitude are the ingredients
that characterize an impactful woman
who possesses the capability of
changing the face of the education
industry. Eminent female educational
leaders deliver their best to uphold
education and nurture students from
the core. They are focused on the
overall development of the students
while building a doorway to academic
and career excellence.
A renowned educational leader driven
to bring out the best in every student is
the one and only Mrs. Aiswarya
Sivanesh, the Co-Founder of Tango
Academy of India. She has always
ensured that the students learn
thoroughly and explore their potential
through her dedicated endeavors. The
Knowledge Review, we got an
opportunity to sit down and interview
Mrs. Aiswarya and learn more about
her impressive journey throughout the
education industry. Following are the
highlights of interview:
Please tell us about your journey
throughout the education sector
right from the beginning of your
career.
By 2017, we started Tango Academy of
An Exceptional Educator with a Zeal to
Uphold Education and Constant Learning
P
Aiswarya
The Most Admired Women In Educational Sector For India 2022
www.theknowledgereview.com | 23

26. Interactive, online education is the new
trend where we meet a child/student in
the virtual platform and build face-to-
face communication. As we wish, this
way of learning should happen
efficiently, so we build small batches to
enhance learning efficiency.
What are the biggest challenges and
struggles faced by educators in
general?
Lack of enthusiasm in teaching. An
educator/teacher/tutor should be very
creative, glad, and innovative to meet
the little brains to provoke the future
leaders of our country.
We are nominated for the AEA and
India Prime Awards 2022.
Tango Greenage’s achievement - A
Mass Drive on Sowing 10,000+ palm
seeds near Virudhunagar Mettugundu
village in Oct 2021 at Tamil Nadu was
documented in renowned state
newspapers and news channels like
News7, Polymer TV, Smart TV, and
Vasanth TV.
What advice would you like to give
to those who want to step into the
field of education?
An Educationist/Trainer/Teacher
should be cheerful with the students
forgetting their age and giving their
best. Also, they should be an
instrument/role model in cultivating
humanity and patriotism to serve our
nation.
Please share what lies ahead for you
and your institution in the near
future.
As this pandemic has given us an
opportunity to create a wonderful
online platform to connect with
students globally these years, we want
TANGO to be recognised as a popular
international learning academy in the
near future.
Education is considered a tool of
empowerment. What efforts do you
and the institution take to ensure
that education is provided to those
who need it?
We strictly follow the charitable laws
where we share the profits made each
month and help the child/student who
needs education by funding them.
Kindly mention any of your awards,
accolades, and accreditations.
Tango Academy of India is recognised
with MoMSME registration.
We were nominated for KWAAwards
in Karnataka in the year 2021.
“
“
An educator should
be an instrument/role
model in cultivating
humanity and
patriotism to serve
our nation.
24 | March 2022

28. Schooling
Bangle
Pedagogy
Women have had a solid impact on the
education system through their
involvement in multiple roles in our
education system. Teaching profiles
included teachers for various subjects,
instructors, trainers and topical
mentors. Women in the non-teaching
departments are also seen working
effectively in the administration,
accounts and finance, sales and
marketing, training and development,
library, planning and logistics and
management.
Education is considered as an
effective tool in the academic,
practical and overall
development of one's personality. It not
only empowers the individual but leads
to the holistic progress of the society as
well.
Educated women have created their
mark in various fields of science,
commerce, arts, IT, technology, sports,
defence, education and many more.
Women teachers might have taught us
all at some point in our educational
period.
E
26 | March 2022

29. www.theknowledgereview.com | 27

30. Have you ever wondered how did they
get settled and developed their
stronghold in education?
As we look back in our early history,
women initially were chosen for the
non-strenuous jobs that included
education automatically.
Impressive qualities
Women were fast learners, agile,
adaptable and disciplined in every
activity. The strong will power, and
discipline were the qualities which
registered them as a good workforce
for education. From being expert
communicators to empathetic guides,
women teachers steadily won the trust
of the children. They went to the level
of the kids and simplified learning
process making the teaching easier.
They are perceived as impeccable story
tellers, making them experts in student
engagement. They lived a simple life
yet encouraged the students to see big
dreams.
Hardcore Teachers
Focus and a strong sense of
responsibility were essential factors
that made them good teachers. They
have always been punctual, goal-
oriented and rational in their teaching
methodology. Their strong
commitment with clear and transparent
pedagogies made every student well
versed with the subject essentials.
Home Makers to Nation Builders
Initially women took the chalk and
duster soon after their domestic duties.
Coming from a various stratum of
society, they placed education at an
equal with religion. Strict
disciplinarians imbibing the good
habits to the core academic curriculum,
they contributed in creating strong
beliefs of the young generation in
harnessing the values of ethics, morals
and purpose.
Role in Management
Women in various profiles have been
very quick, sharp and feisty in their
work profiles. Organized behavior,
cleanliness and forward-thinking made
them efficient work resources. Senior
positions of supervisors, managers,
advisors, principals, rectors, VPs and
directors; all are seen effectively
adorned by women.
Apart from being effective work
resources, they are known to have been
inspiring team leaders and admirable
managers. Being efficient in multi-
tasking, rational thinking and
supportive approach, they made popular
and trustworthy leaders and managers.
Women handled situations from a
broader perspective enhancing the
solutions to create a win-win situations
for students and the management. They
are also patient listeners, imparting
impartial judgements and be the
empathetic guide for their team
members and employees. The ability of
a leader to work with passion and lead
by example is one of the striking traits
of women educators.
By leading from the front, women took
up the responsibility of guiding he team
to understand and work towards the
core objectives of the organization.
They handled every dimension
fearlessly right from team management,
development of the education
standards, harnessing the student
progress, and nurturing the teacher-
parent relationship.
Striving for Excellence
It has been a known fact that women
became able teachers and professors in
various education departments. Clarity
of thought disciplined and well-curated
approach, enthusiastic teaching
pedagogies and inspiring through
examples may be some of the many
aspects that set them apart. Women
have been known to be excellent critics
and patrons of excellence. Our
education system might have
transformed at its own pace, but the
active contribution of women in
working on the purpose and effectively
empowering the students with
personalized approach in their
development could actually have been
the decisive factor.
Influential Personalities
Savitribai Phule: She coupled with her
husband Mahatma Jyotiba Phule began
the process of women education,
spreading equality and social justice in
India. She was the foremost teachers
who initiated the responsibility of
educating women and is remembered
for her relentless contribution even
today.
Ramabai Ranade: Ramabai was one of
the important social reformers who
worked for development of women in
the pro-independence era. She gained
recognition for her oratory and
leadership skills. She initiated the
education girls, adult ladies and widows
and encouraged the activities like essay
writing and lectures.
Catalysts in the Equation of Progress
Indian society steadily changed the
approach towards the diverse and deep-
rooted role of women in the Indian
society. As women entered the
professional spheres soon after
independence, they became the classic
models of multi-tasking. Any working
lady to that matter, manages her
household responsibilities and her
professional duties with absolute ease.
Maybe this was the unnoticed strength
that led to the rise of women as
successful professionals. Today they are
torch bearers of values and principles,
women in education industry have
nurtured the progressive mindset of
generations to come.
- Kedar Borgaonkar
28 | March 2022

32. Dr. Madhavi
Dr. Madhavi
The sudden ascent of technology support in
education has brought many new challenges for
educators. Teaching online has its own set of
limitations and lacks the personal touch that offline
education has. However, it has also opened doors to many
students, accessing a plethora of information and study
courses. Students of all ages and from every nook and
corner can learn and grow with online learning.
Furthermore, this education or lifelong learning system is
not a new one. Years of research and implementation have
resulted in the current distance learning system. Distance
education has allowed students with different constricts to
pursue education from a distance.
Dr. Madhavi Vivek Dharankar, Associate professor at
SNDT Women's University, is a seasoned educator and
has played a crucial role in developing distance learning in
the country. She shares her insights on the current scenario
in education and her vision in an interview conducted by
The Knowledge Review.
Beginning Years and Career in Education
Dr. Madhavi Dharankar joined as Technical Assistant in the
Department of Adult and Continuing Education and
Extension, University of Mumbai, in 1995. She, later on,
started working as an assistant teacher at S S Ajmera High
School, Borivali. Her journey in the education space had
begun, and she continued teaching and gained varied
learning exposure.
Dr. Madhavi had developed a strong foothold in distance
education with her extensive tenure of 15 years at
Yashvantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University
(YCMOU), Nasik as an Assistant Professor in the School of
Education.
She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department
of Educational Technology, SNDT Women's University,
Mumbai, where she teaches various subjects, including
blended learning, research methodology, open and distance
learning, and educational technology.
Inspiration and Role Models
Dr. Madhavi's primary inspiration to get into teaching was
her mother, a primary school teacher in Greater Mumbai
Municipal Corporation. Her school teachers had also played
an important role in breeding the love for teaching. In
higher education, Dr. C. G. D'lima, her B.Ed College
Principal had also played a crucial role in motiving her to
become an educator.
A Sneak-Peek into a World-Class University
Dr. Madhavi shares the vision, mission, and core values of
SNDT Women's University (SNDTWU) as:
Vision: SNDT Women's University is visualized as a world-
class university that continually responds to the changing
social realities through developing and applying knowledge
and skills. The purpose of such engagement will be to
Online education has opened up
so many possibilities.Interactivity and
learner engagement are at the core of
any form of education,and these are all
the more crucial in online education.
30 | March 2022
The Most Admired Women In Educational Sector For India 2022

33. create an inclusive society that promotes and protects
dignity, equality, social justice, and human rights for all,
with particular emphasis on women's empowerment.
Mission: SNDT Women's University is committed to the
cause of women's empowerment through access to higher
education. Further, the university is committed to providing
a wide range of professional and vocational courses for
women to meet changing socio-economic needs, human
values, purposeful social responsibility, and achieving
excellence with ‘Quality in every Activity’.
Core Value: An Enlightened Woman is a Source of Infinite
Strength
Dr. Madhavi says, "SNDTWU has a priority to educate the
women so that they find the niche for themselves in the
world of work, they build their capacity and also self-
employ in this world of competition."
Teaching, in a New Age Way
Dr. Madhavi believes that video may be exploited as a
mode of learning and can be a healthy option for Lifelong
Dr. Madhavi Vivek Dharankar
Associate Professor, Department
of Educa onal Technology,
SNDT Women's University
www.theknowledgereview.com | 31

34. Learning, as it was already a term but was never used as
fully as it is today.
"Online education has opened up many possibilities.
Interactivity and learner engagement are at the core of any
form of education, and these are all the more crucial in
online education," she adds.
Meeting Challenges with a Pause
When enquired about the challenges that educational
leaders face today, Dr. Madhavi replied, "The biggest
challenge is everyone — teachers, students, parents, policy-
makers — looking for a 'fast' and 'quick' success."
She admits that one must pause and introspect as both
educator and student.
Setting an Example for a Lifelong Learning
Dr. Madhavi believes in building a solid foundation in
learning among students to set their journey to any
instructional design situation. She says, "We are in the era
where the mere degree is not helpful, but students look for
the opportunities to get experience in the world of work
even during their years of study. At SDTWU, the internship
is mandatory for the PG programs." This process helps the
students to acquire exposure and confidence.
She further adds, "At the Department of Educational
Technology, the students start earning through the stipend
even before they have their degree in hand. Some of them
had got an opportunity of paid international internship
earlier, where they traveled overseas. Pandemic opened up
the opportunities of international internships with work
from home facilities. All internship opportunities provide
the student's experience of working on live projects. The
students get trained in all aspects of educational technology
and instructional design."
At a personal level, she also ensures that the students are
thorough with the core processes within the instructional
designing.
Awards and Accreditations
Dr. Madhavi Dharankar has won several awards and
accreditations for her priceless contribution to various fields
of education. Some of the awards are listed below:
Academic Awards:
Ÿ Sara and George McCune Scholarship Award for
Summer 2019 Mixed Method Workshop at University
of Michigan, USA during June 19 – 21, 2019 of the
amount of $ 3000 instituted by Sara and George
McCune Foundation through Department of Family
Medicine, University of Michigan, USA
Ÿ Travel fund for attending a seminar of "Researcher
Competency: Mapping and Management" during March
24 – 25, 2014 at M S University, Baroda; Form of
Bursary: Travel, accommodation; By CASE, M S
University, Baroda
Ÿ Travel fund for attending a seminar on "Continuous
Comprehensive Evaluation Implementation: Issues and
Concerns" during March 2 – 4, 2012 at M S University,
Baroda Form of Bursary: Travel, accommodation: By
CASE, M S University, Baroda
Ÿ Shiksha Rattan Puraskaar 2012 by India International
Friendship Society
Ÿ Bursary award for attending INORMS Conference
during June 16 – 19, 2008 in Liverpool, UK; Form of
Bursary: Travel, accommodation, and registration;
Amount: 700 Pounds; Association of Commonwealth
Universities (ACU), UK
th
Ÿ Subsidy and Sponsorship for attending 5 Pan-
Commonwealth Forum (PCF%) on Open Learning at
University of London, UK Form of Subsidy: Air ticket
to and fro the UK; By Commonwealth of Learning
(COL), Canada
Ÿ Award for the best paper for the paper titled
"Environmental Concerns: An Action Project at School
of Education, YCMOU" at Kashibai Navale College of
Education and Training, Lonawala, MS during
(December 23, 2007); Navapur (2004)
SNDTWU has a priority to
educate the women so that
they find the niche for
themselves in the world of
work,they build their capacity
and also self-employ in this
world of competition.
32 | March 2022

35. Ÿ Fourth rank at M. Ed. The level at the University of
Mumbai (1995)
Ÿ First prize for the Project Report among B. Ed. Students
at Department of Adult and Continuing Education and
Extension, University of Mumbai (1994)
Miscellaneous Awards
Ÿ Award for the Spirit of service and reaching out to
others from St. Xavier's Institute of Education, Mumbai,
MS (1994)
Ÿ Award for the Best Colleague – from Parle Tilak
Association's Vyayamshala, Mumbai, MS, India (1989)
Awards in Sports
Ÿ St. Xavier's Institute of Education, Mumbai - Ist prize in
Badminton – females singles (1993 - 94)
Ÿ St. Xavier's Institute of Education, Mumbai - Ist prize in
Badminton – mixed doubles (1993 - 94)
Ÿ St. Xavier's Institute of Education, Mumbai - IIIrd prize
in Javeline Throw (1993 - 94)
Ÿ Institute of Science, Mumbai - IIIrd prize in Running
400 mt (1992 - 93)
Word of Advice from a Seasoned Educator
Dr. Madhavi encourages curiosity among students, teachers,
and peers to make learning an inclusive process.
"One reads books and resources, but reading people is
crucial in the field of education as one works with young
minds. Maintaining the teacher's diary/ journal serves as a
rich source of thoughts, reflections, and ideas. It also serves
as an artifact of one's thinking process and growth. During
teaching, if the content/ syllabus is linked with the life and
living, then it becomes more meaningful to the students, and
then the learning becomes more enriching for them," she
further adds.
Dr. Madhavi believes that a teacher should keep writing,
expressing through the popular dailies, magazines, and
research journals. It is helpful for one's professional journey
and for future teachers to learn through their experiences.
www.theknowledgereview.com| 33

38. Priyanka. In an interview, she shared
about her journey through the
education sector, her opinions about
the education industry, her noteworthy
achievements, and her future plans.
Following are the highlights of the
interview:
Please tell us about your journey
throughout the education sector
right from the beginning of your
career.
A renowned educator who has
embraced innovation and excellence
while shaping a bright future for the
students is Dr. Priyanka Joshi More.
She serves as an Assistant Professor
of History at Progressive Education
Society’s Modern College of Arts,
Science and Commerce
(Autonomous), Shivajinagar, Pune.
We, at The Knowledge Review, got an
opportunity to sit down with Dr.
Dr. Priyanka
Joshi More
My journey
as an educator
has always
been lled with
fun and
learning.
An Inspiring Educator Nurturing Students and
Transforming Lives
Education is the voyage from
ignorance to attaining the
ultimate knowledge. With
proper guidance, an individual can
transform into a furnished citizen and a
seasoned professional. Many women
have attained tremendous knowledge
in their field of choice and have
introduced transformational initiatives
in the field of education. They have
taken up respectable positions as
leaders in the education sector.
E
36 | March 2022

39. My journey as an educator has always
been filled with fun and learning. Each
year, with every batch, I learn
something new and ways to improve
myself as a teacher. I was a student of
the American curriculum as my parents
were posted abroad under the Ministry
of External Affairs, New Delhi. My
first job was in Oakridge International
School, an IB School situated in
Hyderabad.
I was lucky to have been provided an
opportunity there as I had no prior
teaching experience then, but they
trusted my potential and gave me the
scope. There, I did not just realize that
I enjoyed teaching, but it became a fun
process as a teacher-cum-learner
myself, interacting with students and
colleagues. As I was abroad as a
student and all my experiences I had as
a student in India have shaped me to
become the teacher I am today.
What inspired you to step into the
education industry? Who were your
role models growing up?
To be honest I had no role models as I
never imagined being a teacher. I
wanted to be a gynaecologist, but as I
had studied abroad, when I came to
India for my college, I had to take the
Arts stream, then after the first year of
my BA, I never intended to major in
History, but that also happened and
now I am where I am, with no regrets.
The only inspiration I had from my
teachers was that History - the subject,
has always been taught at the school
level as cramming of dates, names and
events, which I had experienced also;
so, when I completed my Honours in
History, I comprehended that History is
much more than that. Students feel so
fed up with History just memorizing
facts, and this is what I implemented to
change my teaching patterns. To make
it a fun and interesting subject.
Tell us about your esteemed institute
and its mission, vision, and core
values.
Currently, I am a college teacher,
Assistant Professor in History at
Progressive Education Society’s
Modern College of Arts, Science and
Commerce (Autonomous),
Shivajinagar, Pune, established in 1970
is a multi-faculty educational institute
permanently affiliated to Savitribai
Phule Pune University (formerly
University of Pune). The college is
known to be a premier institute of
Progressive Education Society.
The college is carefully nurturing all-
round development of over 12500
students through academic and co- and
extra-curricular activities, thus
enabling them to be ‘Proactive Best
Citizens’, keeping in both letter and
spirit, the Mission Statement of the
institution. University Grants
Commission, New Delhi has awarded
Autonomous Status to the college from
the academic year 2019-20 for the next
10 years. Our College imparts
education mainly in the said three
streams and is presently offering 26
UG, 23 PG courses and 9 approved
research centres in which studies
leading to M.Phil and/or Ph. D.
degrees are offered. The college has
initiated new academic programmes
such as M.Sc. (Computer Application),
M.A. (Hindi), M.A. (History) and
courses in Fashion Technology. The
College has received sanctions for 2
B.Voc Courses by UGC viz. B.Voc. in
Animator and B.Voc. in Landscaping
and Gardening. A sanction for the
course M.Voc in Fashion Technology is
also received from UGC.
What are the priorities of your
institute in terms of course
objectives and learning outcomes?
Being an autonomous institute, we
design our own syllabus. The course
objectives are defined at the start of the
detailed syllabus of every course. the
syllabus is designed by defining the
program outcomes, program-specific
outcomes and course outcomes, based
on the blooms taxonomy. The
attainment of the outcomes defined are
calculated at the end of every academic
year. The college has defined its
graduation attributes. Some online
courses have been created by the
college to tune the students to meet
these graduation attributes. The
students are offered bridge courses to
fill the gap between the academics in
some cases. The industry-oriented
courses are offered to the students to
bridge the gap between industry and
academics.
The college has a history of rank
holder students for years in SPPU. The
college also has a policy to encourage
research culture among teachers and
students. A unique ‘Yuva Sanshodhak’
scheme is launched by the college to
inculcate research attitudes among
students. More than 75% of staff
members are involved in research
activity. Research endeavours have
been geared up in the last five years
with increased participation of students
and teachers in research, with a greater
number of major and minor research
projects being funded by different
funding agencies.
Kindly share your views regarding
interactive, online educational
content and how it is redefining the
ways we learn.
I have an entire paper published on this
titled - ‘From Guru to E-Guru: Shifting
Paradigms in Teaching during the
Pandemic’ published in the book,
‘COVID-19 and Higher Education:
Changing Paradigms and Issues’
(ISBN: 978-93-91260-21-7). In this
paper, I have looked at the positive and
negative changes that have occurred
www.theknowledgereview.com | 37
The Most Admired Women In Educational Sector For India 2022

40. mode, was the unfamiliarity with
technology- using apps and software -
it was an easy transition for many and
the reason some have quit their jobs
also. Not all are well versed with the
English language, and understanding
the usage of these apps/software,
reading instructions and so on, was not
easy. So, although it is all good to say
that online teaching and learning has
its charm and benefits in a globalized
era, it also has its drawbacks which the
educators have faced. Institutes need to
understand this and lend a helping
hand.
Education is considered a tool of
empowerment. What efforts do you
and the institution take to make sure
that education is provided to those
who need it?
‘Everyone has the right to education,’ I
and my institute, strongly believe in
this.
A separate ‘International Students Cell’
has also been established for 84
International students to address all
issues related to them. In order to get
placement opportunities for students
and to seek guidance from the
industrial sector, an ‘Industry
with the new patterns of online
teaching, with a comparison between
India and foreign countries. From my
first job, I have been using Smartclass
and as a college teacher, to use Online
Learning Management Systems. Apart
from that the use of online resources,
software and apps does make the
teaching faster and readily available,
but I also feel there are restrictions to
it. It helps the teachers and students to
become technologically advanced, but
coming to theoretical subjects, can
cause obstacles at times too. So, I
would say, I feel very neutral about it.
What are the biggest challenges and
struggles faced by educators in
general?
This is also something I have
mentioned in detail in my paper
(mentioned above): I feel we can look
into these challenges categorizing them
in two sections - pre-Covid and post-
Covid. I would comment on some of
the post-Covid challenges in general
which I realized during the research for
my paper - that online teaching reduces
the ‘teacher-learner connect’ that was
present in the regular offline modes.
Another factor that I realised that many
educators faced while shifting to online
Academia Collaboration Committee’ is
formed. The committee takes initiative
in holding periodic meetings of the
experts from industry, students, and
staff of different departments of the
college. Similarly, special centres viz,
‘Center for Promotion of Research’,
‘Center for Teaching, Learning and
Evaluation’ and ‘Competitive
Examination Guidance Centre’ have
been established.
The library infrastructure is renovated
completely, and the ambience of the
library is improved by modern
amenities like internet, accessing
e-books, staff studies section, library
website, library e-bulletin and Digital
Language Laboratory has been set up
for enhancing communication skills.
The college has also substantially
increased the use of ICT facilities in
teaching, learning, evaluation, and
administration.
NSS and Physical education units have
been adjudged as the best units under
SPPU, Pune, for the academic year
2014 and 2016 respectively. Physical
education is successively recipient of
the best unit award by SPPU. Our NCC
cadets have made remarkable
achievements. One student has been
awarded a prestigious ‘Prime Minister
Trophy’ being the best cadet at the all-
India level. In the last five years, three
cadets participated in Republic Day
Parade at New Delhi. Two of our
students were also awarded the ‘Star of
India’ award in the year 2013-14. The
college has a well-established and
active Alumni Association. Many
Scientists, IPS officers, political
leaders, industrialists, educationalists,
artists, and army officers are our pride
alumni.
Resource mobilization from various
funding agencies was taken up as a
major strategy to improve the
Dr. Priyanka Joshi
Assistant Professor, Progressive
Education Society’s Modern College
of Arts, Science and Commerce
38 | March 2022

41. infrastructure, augment teaching-
learning facilities and allocate projects
to students to make learning more
‘student centric’. The college was
given the status of ‘College with
Potential for Excellence’ by the UGC
in 2011 and is continued in 2017,
which gave momentum to all the
activities of the college. The college
was also awarded DST-FIST by
Ministry of Science and Technology,
which helped in enhancing the
infrastructure for research.
Programmes like DBT (Department of
Biotechnology, Ministry of Science
and Technology) STAR scheme have
focused on additional skill
development amongst undergraduate
students.
What advice can you give to those
who want to step in the field of
education?
Every teacher possesses special
qualities so there is no one way of
achieving success. However, I would
like to say that certain teachers enter
the field with a bias or a mindset, I
would personally say that as a teacher
that will create obstacles. Teaching is a
very responsible task as we shape the
future society of a nation. Yes, teachers
are humans, and we make mistakes, no
doubt! But what is more important is to
realize, rectify and avoid repeating in
the future.
Coming to my subject, teaching
History is not an easy task. So, to
young teachers who wish to become
academicians, I would just say this,
first learn to be objective, learn to
accept criticism and opposing views,
because History is a controversial and
complex subject. It can be a uniting
factor in society and also a dividing
factor. We have students from all
sections of society, and for that, we
need to overcome our biases and teach
the facts in a manner that it does not
become an issue. Also, as some
teachers just believe in providing
factual details and memorizing them, it
is essential to make the subject
interesting, appealing and
understanding. Learning is not just
memorizing, it is knowledge. Hence, I
feel, not everyone can teach History.
Please share what lies ahead for you
and your institution in the near
future.
I always believe that one should never
stop, keep doing something, keep
developing yourself. I have multiple
hobbies, apart from teaching, which I
do to relax, they include - music,
poetry, dance, painting, sewing,
making candles and so on.
Apart from college work, I write
academic articles/papers, but I am also
interested in writing fiction - short
stories and poems, which I publish on
online platforms. I am also in the
process of publishing some short
stories and poems in anthologies with
various publishing houses in and out of
India. They are all works in progress.
I also participate in Writing
Competitions, not to win but to
improve my writing, as I have begun as
an amateur writer. I do not come from
a literature stream but from a Social
Science background, so it is not easy,
but I strongly believe in the concept of
- ‘practice makes perfect’ and one day I
will achieve my dream - to author top-
selling novels.
I have two drafts ready - one almost
ready to send and the other near
completion, but as it is not my field,
I am still understanding the basics of
publishing before sending them to a
publisher. On the professional level,
I feel each day calls for improvement
and I will continue to strive to do the
best for me and my institute.
Connect with me: Facebook:
@drpriyankajo20 or email -
more.j.priyanka@gmail,com
Every teacher
possesses special
qualities so there
is no one way
of achieving
success.
www.theknowledgereview.com| 39

42. 40 | March 2022

43. Have you ever wondered why
many students across the
world and especially from
Middle east and African countries turn
to India for education?
Probably it could be the quality of
education, the teaching systems, the
preparation of the students or the role
of teachers. Indeed, teachers have
played a pivotal role in training the
students effectively making them
successful professionals.
H
www.theknowledgereview.com | 41

44. Mothers are considered a child's first
teacher. She takes care, teaches us how
to talk, feeds and makes the child
aware of the various aspects of life.
As we grow up, we are admitted to the
school where we are taught by the
schoolteachers in various sections.
Most of us might have studied under
lady teachers giving us their unique
teaching skills.
Women in education are not merely
confined to the role of teachers but
have grown in their scope and
capacities in much higher domains of
lecturers, professors, researchers,
program managers, organizers and
ministers also.
The Humble Beginning
Women have displayed the innate
qualities of love, care, patience,
consistency and hope. Women began
their roles as teachers with the selfless
objectives of teaching and upbringing
the students. Remember the golden
days of our childhood when the sari-
clad, tight hair bun adorning
schoolteachers taught us different
subjects with the stick and chalks.
These strict disciplinarians worked
with complete dedication and passion.
Our lifelong habits, our morals and
beliefs were actually formed here
under their guidance.
All over this is a general observation of
large number of women teachers in
most schools. They were known to
manage their routines through narrow
salaries, yet they portrayed a stoic
figure of discipline, commitment and
focus.
The Decisive Role
Women made strict disciplinarians who
handed over punishments to the erring
students with the sole intention of
making them learn properly. Students'
progress was the only aspect of
satisfaction they nurtured. For many
decades, women as teachers have
shaped the mindset of our generations.
They have been the torch bearers in
systematic teaching, motivation,
subject knowledge and important
moral values.
Women are known to be amazing
influencers through their unique
teaching and convincing approach.
They always focused on developing
good reading habits and nurturing the
culture of practice and awareness,
rather than just focusing on grades.
Mindful study with deeper and clear
understanding was their method of
teaching which helped them develop
sharp performing and result oriented
students. Women teachers garnered
huge respect due to the qualities and
values they imparted to the students.
Unlike the parents, these teachers kept
the students in an educational
association where there was a
unilateral teaching approach to all the
students. Basic instructions on hygiene,
discipline, subject recapitulation and
memorizing the rules were given. At
the age when kids are just learning to
understand new things about the
outside world, they took up the
responsibility of educating and
imbibing patriotism, human values and
rich cultural heritage.
Sculpting the professionals
They were specific with their
instructions and instilled the subjects
through simple, interesting and
engaging methods. The women
teachers gave some real-life examples
which made the topics easy to
understand and correlate.
The techniques of role playing, and
direct questioning kept everyone alert,
attentive and involved in the teaching
process. They made everyone read the
lesson thoroughly before starting the
question- answer session. The teachers
showed the right path of understanding
the question first then identifying the
answer.
Nation Builders of Tomorrow
Women have been very important
contributors to our education system
by adorning numerous hats of teachers,
instructors, mentors, managers,
principals, Deans, Chancellors and
many more. Their disciplined and
organized approach to the teaching
profession raised its importance,
quality and purity.
Women are perceived to have
transformed the students into
outstanding professionals in various
fields through their important value
education. Apart from the subject
knowledge, they have been
instrumental in making them capable
thinkers, self-learners and responsible
citizens. It is said that "The future of
any country depends upon the level of
education of the people". Women have
made phenomenal contributions to
creating well educated and civilized
citizens, paving the way for national
growth.
- Ashlesh Khadse
42 | March 2022

46. Ramesh
Meenakshi
The Cultivated Leader and the
Advocate for Holistic Education In a world where new technologies and effective
innovations are increasingly being applied for effective
transformation in the educational sphere, a world
where online learning and an extensive variety of learning
st
methods are available to the learners of the 21 century is
the kind of energetic dwelling we are living in today. In
today’s world where massive transformation in education
and teaching pedagogies are a part-and-parcel of everyday
life, there is a pronounced need for effective educational
leadership.
Effective education leadership is increasingly being viewed
as the key to far-reaching educational evolution. After all, it
is the students of today who are going to inherit the world.
We need leaders who not only direct the resources,
innovation, and the potential of the learners for the
betterment of the world but also set an example for the rest
to follow. We need influential educational leaders like
Meenakshi Ramesh.
Meenakshi Ramesh is the Director for Curriculum,
Research and Development of Vels Group of Schools.
Realising that creativity and innovation are fundamental for
any curriculum, including academics, Meenakshi Ramesh
contributed to the creation of Kindle Kids International
Curriculum.
44 | March 2022
Meenakshi Ramesh
Director, Curriculum, Research and
Development, Vels Group of Schools

47. I feel that it is my re onsibility
to motivate, guide, train, and help
teachers and other colleagues to
refle on one’s pra ices. I feel this
will bring in a change in the
individual to work with a deep
sense of Choice, Commitment,
Con dence, and Compassion.
The elevation from Principal to Director was a blessing in
disguise, where I was provided with the golden opportunity
to take up all the projects in a detailed manner which I was
not able to do as a principal.
Education is a vast area comprising of different types of
professionals working together as a team for accomplishing
a common purpose. Academicians, educationalists,
teachers, and philanthropic leaders come together and get
involved in this field to provide quality education to the
children of the society. Here, I initiated my career as a
humble teacher. At a particular point, after gaining good
experience in teaching, I promoted myself as an education
administrator.
On looking back at the 40 years of experience that has
given me ample opportunities and loveable memories, I can
take the legitimate pride in saying that there is no activity
connected with an education that I did not touch upon in all
the institutions, wherever I worked.
All the institutions had given me enough freedom, rich
experience and entrusted me with all responsibilities in
which I could ground myself with a sense of contentment,
commitment and pleasure. This helped me to be myself and
hence could give my best to be in line with the vision of all
the institutions that I was associated with. Now it is almost
sixteen years of my enriching journey with Vels.
Please tell our readers about your
institution/organisation and how you came to be
associated with it.
Vels Group of Institutions, a premier educational group in
Tamil Nadu, runs 36 educational institutions in varied fields
with 30,000 students and 6,000 staff members in Tamil
Nadu, Telangana, London, and Singapore. The Institution
offers an uninterrupted study for a student from
prekindergarten to PhD under one roof.
My association at Vels started in 2004-05 when I took over
as the Principal of the International School. From then
onward, I have always encouraged the teachers and the
learners to progressively move forward in the quality of
content and methodology. Under my leadership, as the
Director of R&D since 2018, the team could successfully
launch an indigenously developed world-class curriculum –
Kindle Kids – to enthuse the children to explore, engage,
experience, explain and evaluate.
www.theknowledgereview.com| 45
The Most Admired Women In Educational Sector For India 2022
We, at The Knowledge Review magazine, are honoured to
bring you the interview we conducted with the eminent
leader and the cultivated educator, Meenakshi Ramesh.
So, sit back as we present the interview to you and relish
the wisdom you are about to receive.
Please share your story with us and your journey of
becoming an influential education leader.
Having been in the field of education for the past 35 years, I
have had the exposure to assume a variety of roles and
responsibilities as a Lecturer, Academic Supervisor,
Principal, and Correspondent of schools catering to first-
generation learners. With my strong belief in enhancing and
equipping skills as an ongoing process, to keep abreast of
the latest knowledge, skills, and understanding in any field,
I also sought to try out these with an international
curriculum.
I feel that it is my responsibility to motivate, guide, train,
and help teachers and other colleagues to reflect on one’s
practices. I feel this will bring in a change in the individual
to work with a deep sense of Choice, Commitment,
Confidence, and Compassion. I have derived immense
satisfaction in conducting many teachers’ training
workshops, symposia, and other aspects of team learning
with teachers. I also strongly believe that the education
system in our country needs a precise paradigm shift
towards helping children become self-engaged, self-
responsible, and self-researching.

48. What learning practises or pedagogies do you think are
most needed in the education outlook of this country?
Which of these pedagogies have you incorporated into
your teaching practices?
In such testing times, we as a school have taken it upon
ourselves to keep our students engaged and updated. We
conduct online classes with ease and have learnt the
techniques of teaching virtually to our students. Reaching
out to children virtually poses the challenge of lacking eye-
to-eye contact and personalized teaching. An added
advantage to virtual classes is the facilitation of self-paced
learning, which is considered rather difficult in a traditional
classroom.
Examples of few learning practices:
1. Creativity – The global marketplace is more competitive
than ever. Understanding this, our curriculum has been
designed to foster the creativity of our students: ‘Kindle
Kids International Curriculum’ to suit the foundational
learning for the first five years and the preparatory years as
per the NEP 2020.
2. Problem solving – Our group of schools prestigiously
hosts mock ‘Model United Nations’ that stands a testimony
every year on our campus. The students undertake the entire
responsibility to hold the event right from planning up to
the final event of the day. This event brings out young
researchers, excellent speakers, and great thinkers and
moments to think and relate to world issues and solutions.
3. Critical Thinking – ‘Leader-in-Me -Programme’
conducted in our group of schools helps us to create a ripple
effect to work smarter and perform better. Students are
encouraged to hone their leadership skills and are presented
with numerous chances to showcase the same.
4. Leadership – We also give opportunities to our alumni
to guide students and even let them teach hard concepts.
This brings in a family culture that is prevalent in our
school. This culture enables us to keep parents involved
with us in developing their children.
5. Communication – In school, we work in groups to
46 | March 2022

49. produce solutions to the challenges and problems we face.
Faculty training and enrichment seminars are conducted
frequently to enable teachers to be updated and well-
equipped with the latest technology and teaching
methodologies.
6. Collaboration – Working in groups is a hallmark of the
digital age. Activities/orphanage visits/donations/flood
relief funds/beach cleaning drives are among
other activities through the Interact club that
reminds children of giving back to society
and strengthen the feeling of communal
oneness.
7. Curiosity – I am a strong believer that
without curiosity, there is no learning. For
me, I always expect a student to experience a
“WOW” moment, which happens through
extended learning to support their academic
interests through engaging projects and
presentations.
8. Reflection – By making students
participate in non-scholastic projects,
students reflect on the learning they have
acquired.
Where does the Edu-Tech Sector stand in
the country today? What role do you see
yourself can play in the future of this Edu-
Tech space?
From rural blackboard system to remote
learning, all cannot exist concurrently in the
field of teaching and learning. It is high time
educationists put their heads together to
standardize systems and procedures to reach
far and wide. New inventions in science and
technology have to be assimilated into the
field of education. As educationalists, we can
play a role in synthesizing them with
technological upgradation suited to the
current needs of the students and parents.
Also, industry and agriculture are going to be the biggest
beneficiaries worldwide because of these developments.
The educational sector is bound to cater to their needs
through an innovative syllabus to suit its needs.
What makes your institute stand apart from other
institutions/organisations?
• Highly child-centric and child-friendly atmosphere
• It is mandatory at all our group schools to bring
mentoring as an interactive system for fast assimilation
into the school system for developing a lifelong career.
• Continuous Professional Development – VSKILL -
the centre for professional development at VELS
provides continuous professional development for
teachers .As a team, it is our dream to explore the
benefits and challenges of working with schools in
other countries and to identify ways of effectively
supporting education for global citizenship
enhancement through our educational practices.
• To develop new teaching approaches, facilitating active
learning and reflective practice
• Give a new definition to the entire teaching-learning
process.
Vels Group of Schools always caters to the needs for
‘Global Citizenship education. Freedom to plan, execute,
and function and encouragement to good activities and
reach out to all stakeholders need constant energy and
support in terms of moral, physical, and financial aspects.
All these are provided by our worthy Chancellor of Vels
University – Dr Ishari K Ganesh, Chancellor (Vels
University) and Chairman (Vels Group of Institutions),
and Dr Arthi Ganesh, Pro-chancellor (Vels University)
and Managing Trustee Vels Group of Schools.
The institution under his leadership provides a lot of
opportunities, unstinted support, and guidance to all the
staff at Vels Group who work collaboratively. This brings in
an awareness to connect, commit, and transform to build
mutual respect, share knowledge, and give quality
output in the respective areas of work in the field
of education. “Education is the most powerful
weapon which you can use to change the world,”
said Nelson Mandela.
The Vels Group, under the leadership of the
Chancellor, Pro-chancellor, Directors, and
Principal’s work with a single-minded devotion to
accomplish the goals of the institution; that way, it
is unique and stands apart, with distinction, from
its peer institutions.
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