The 10 best educational influencers in india, 2020

NOWLEDGEREVIEWEducation. Innovation. Success
TM
VOL - 09
SEPTEMBER - 2020
ISSUE - 02
THE 10 BEST
EDUCATION
INFLUENCERS
IN INDIA, 2020
Manish
Goyal
Meghna Ghai Puri
Inspiring Lives to
Accomplish Dreams
Pratish Nair
Ardent Educator Sculpting
Young Intellectuals

EDITOR’SNOTE
he education sector has always been the one to
Tadapt quickly. It has never failed to surprise us
by adopting new methods of learning and
teaching. For instance, let us consider the current
scenario of education industry during COVID-19.
As with many sectors, the current pandemic crisis
wreaked havoc on the education sector, leading to the
closures of schools, universities and colleges. A
learning crisis occurred and snowballed into a
catastrophe. It took time and massive efforts to respond
to these disturbances, but a strong comeback was made
by universities in the form of remote learning. Despite
the adverse effects of a learning crisis, one thing
became evident that the future of education is
promising. Be it the conventional method of classroom
teaching or through digital means, the education sector
is surely on the path of development.
Education influencers have played a pivotal role in
addressing the crisis and bringing a paradigm shift into
the education system. While teachers and students are
struggling to cope up with the technological
challenges, education influencers are walking an extra
mile to make these transformations simpler and
effective. Some influencers have contributed by
spreading the culture of online learning, while some
have built exceptional platforms and tools to make
learning an enriching experience.
Secondly, education is a fundamental and enabling
right that compliments other human rights and thus,
NO MATTER
WHAT,
LEARNING
SHOULDN’T
STOP!

efforts are being made for education to reach to the masses as much as
possible. Some education influencers have come forward to extend the reach
of education where least traces of it are found. As voices of authority in the
industry, they have left no stones unturned to impact the lives of people, who
are willing to learn.
Whatever be the reason, the ultimate goal of every education influencer is to
improve the quality of education and make it accessible to all. Considering
the same goal and an intent to acknowledge and admire the contributions of
some education influencers, who have been at the forefront of the education
arena, we have compiled a list of “The 10 Best Education Influencers in
India 2020”.
Mastering the art and science of investment, an ardent investment expert,
Manish Goyal has featured on the cover page of this edition. Manish Goyal
has redefined the investment industry by offering multibagger investment
advice. To cultivate his love for investment, he became a full-time investor
and even began offering financial recommendations on undervalued stocks.
We have also enlisted Bunker Roy, the Founder Director of Barefoot
College; CS Ankit Tiwari, Co-Founder of LectureDekho.com; Arpit
Chadha, Vice Chairman, ITS; Meghna Ghai Puri, President,Whistling
Woods International; Rachit Agrawal, Co-founder of AdmitKaro;
Sachin Ravi and Raghav Chakravarthy, Co-founders of Walnut
Knowledge Solutions; and Sunil Sharma, the CEO of EasyShiksha for
their valuable contribution in the education arena.
We also applaud the contributions of Suresh Nair and Sushil Sukhwani.
Delve into more such inspiring stories and lessons from many such
significant entrepreneurs in this issue and reap the fruits of motivation.
Also, make sure to scroll through the articles penned by our in-house editors
and CXO standpoints which will give insight into various leadership traits
and qualities that global leaders possess. We hope this edition would be a
positive addition to your treasure of knowledge.
Happy Reading! T R
Sumita Srakar

CoverStory
Manish Goyal
An Expert Guiding
Others to Reach Higher
Financial Altitudes
Meghna Ghai Puri
Inspiring Lives to
Accomplish Dreams
Interviewwith
The Knowledge
Review
Skill in Demand
Importance of Developing
Communication Skills
Brand in Making
Personal Branding
For Millennial
Pratish Nair
Ardent Educator Sculpting
Young Intellectuals
CXO
Article
Education Opportunities
Education Overseas:
Perks and Advantages
08
16
36
30 46
24

CS Ankit Tiwari
Mentor to
Educational Leaders
Bunker Roy
Exemplifying ‘Simple
Living High Thinking’
Sachin Ravi &
Raghav Chakravarthy
Kindling Curiosity for
Learning and Innovation
Arpit Chadha
A Stellar Edupreneur
Redeﬁning Education
Rachit Agrawal
Enabling a Socially Active
Platform by the Students,
for the Students
Sunil Sharma
Making Education Better
and Easy for Everyone
40 42
2220
28 34

SEPTEMBER , 2020
Copyright © 2020 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.
The Knowledge Review
Off. No. 22 & 510, Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk,
Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017
Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85
Email: info@insightssuccess.in
For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.in
CORPORATE OFFICE
www.facebook.com/theknowledgereview/
twitter.com/theknowledgerv
Follow us on:
We are also available on:
People behind this edition
Co-designer Priyanka Rajage
Art & Picture Editor Mayur Koli
Art & Design Head Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Asha Bange
SME-SMO Executive Atul Dhoran
Circulation Manager Tanaji
Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
Technical Specialist Pratiksha Patil
Marketing Manager Aditi Bishnoi
Business Development Executive Naitiki Ambekar
Business Development Manager Megha Mishra
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
Managing Editor
Quality Assurance Team Sneha Sinha
Contributing Editor
Abhishaj Sajeev
Darshan Parmar

An Expert Guiding
Others to Reach Higher
Financial Altitudes
READINGTHE MARKET IS THE
SECRET OF GETTING
SUCCESSIN EVERY BUSINESS
“
“
MANISH
GOYAL

The current stock market consulting industry, like
every other, is evolving at a rapid pace. The
markets are evolving and are demanding that the
associated investors and their approach evolve too. Success
in stock market investment is all about thinking
strategically and planning ahead than others. Investing is
both, an art and a science.
On the same note, we bring forth such a personality who
has mastered this art and science of investment. We would
like to introduce a well-recognized face in the stock market,
Manish Goyal, who redefined the industry by offering
multibagger investment advice.
A trained and qualified rank holder in 2005, Goyal was a
Chartered Accountant and worked as a finance manager in
an MNC for four years before opting to invest in the stock
market. To cultivate his love for investment, he became a
full-time investor and even began offering financial
recommendations on undervalued stocks.
Mr. Goyal now conducts an advisory service through which
he finds undervalued multibagger stocks using his advanced
analytical methodology. An effective user of social media,
Manish even shares his thoughts on Facebook. He even
publishes updates and provides suggestions on
www.multibaggershares.com and
www.facebook.com/manishgoyalinvestor.
Pursuing the Heights
By qualification, Mr. Goyal is a Chartered Accountant and
since the enrollment, he has always been involved in the
stock market. But, instead of opting for a chartered
accountancy practice, he chose stock market investing as
his professional career. Although he has been investing
since 2002 and has come across a lot of bulls and bears
cycles since then. It was his approach and quantitative
methodology that he uncovered some undervalued small to
mid-cap stocks at his early stages in the business.
After completing his CA, Mr. Goyal initially served as a
Finance Manager in Ranbaxy Laboratories for four years.
There, a thought stuck in his mind; ‘what is the point of
making money if I don’t have either free time or quality of
life’. Hence, he decided to walk the path of stock investing
as a career as it will allow him to take some personal time
alongside making money.
“
“
Investors should
concentrate on
business performance
instead of daily price
movement. If business
does well, price will
eventually follow
Mr. Goyal regenerated the habit of reading very early in his
life. He began to enjoy the entire day researching history,
finance, investing, etc. His favorite reads included Warren
Buffet and other leading investors who assisted him to gain
a lot of understanding of the stock market.
He states that reading and going through diverse subjects
have been the biggest help in his career in investment. He
shares Nial Fuller’s views citing the quote, “To master the
art of reading price, action, you must study, practice and
read more and more about the company consistently”.
He asserts, “I think, reading the stock market is the secret of
getting success in every business. It not only sharpens your
I look for market trends
and fluctuations across
various business verticals
alongside reading about
technology trends that are
responsible for the
fluctuation in the stock
market
“
“

mind but also helps you develop and think from different
perspectives. I started investing in fundamental analysis
because my aim was to make wealth, which can be only
made through long-term value investment in small and
mid-cap stocks.”
Mr. Goyal remembers his very first multibagger bet with 40
bagger stocks viz., Chaman Lal Setia which helped him to
beat millions of Intraday traders, FIIS, and MFs. Afterward,
he dived deep into the financial knowledge and industry
expertise as a finance manager to gather information about
the stocks.
He says, “Fundamental analysis is perhaps the most
essential part of investing that a trader can use to improve
his trading skills & performance to grow in the market. It
needs constant follow up and research skills.”
For many years, Mr. Goyal was investing his own money in
markets but received requests to commence an advisory
business. Hence, in 2017, he came up with the name after
taking relevant approvals from SEBI.
His primary goal is to find stocks that have the potential to
become Multibaggers instead of seeking thirty to forty
percent returns. The firm has been able to identify some big
multibagger stocks such as Swiss Glascoat, Chaman Lal
Setia Exports, KPR Mills, Mold-Tek Packaging, Maithan
Alloys, etc.
Additionally, the firm got the exclusive rights to the word
Multibagger from the Trademark Department of
Government of India. Hence, no other business/advisor can
use the same word.
Mistakes – The Necessary Evil
Talking about the hurdles and setbacks, Mr. Goyal labels his
mistakes as his greatest teachers. After failing here and
there, he introspected the reasons behind and cultivated a
list of Dos and Don’ts of the stock market. He reveals the
most significant lesson of following fundamental strength
stating, “The most important lesson I learned is that we
should not focus on the noise or herd mentality in the stock
market and should focus on the fundamental strength of
business in which we are investing. I think a person should
learn from his previous mistakes. Instead of overlooking the
wrong decisions, he must review them and find the loophole
that resisted him from achieving success.”
Words to Live By
Mr. Goyal advises newcomers to conduct stock market
research more scientifically. They must deter from any kind
of noise or hearsay. “Keys to success in this business are
transparency, integrity, and hard work. No fake promises
should be made to the clients, and investment advice should
be given considering the client’s financial and social
position. New entrepreneurs should follow all types of
guidelines and rules of SEBI,” he asserts.
Guiding the learning path, Mr. Goyal suggests referring to
plenty of free trading resources online. He also advises to
form a network via Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn to
share and help other professional traders. He further
emphasizes on the importance of reading by saying, “In the
initial days of my firm Multibagger Securities & Research
Advisory, I helped many traders on Facebook and my
website with the little knowledge that I had. And I think
reading is what can only make a person successful in any
business, so whatever your goals are, you must read and
learn continuously.”
Investing in the Future
Revealing their plans for the forthcoming years, Mr. Goyal
wishes to open another branch of the firm in Chandigarh.
The firm is also contemplating about applying for PMS
service and for the near future, and it will also cater to other
associated services of capital markets such as stockbroking.
Time management is
the most essential
aspect of every
business that everyone
should learn
“
“
T R

CORPORATE OFFICE
Check should be drawn in favor of : INSIGHTS SUCCESS MEDIA AND TECH PVT. LTD.
SUBSCRIBE TO SUCCESS
READ IT FIRST
www.theknowledgereview.com
Follow Us :
Off. No. 22 & 510, Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk,
Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017
Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85
Email: info@knowledgereview.com
For Subscription: www.theknowledgereview.com
The Knowledge Review

Every teacher we have in our life
plays a significant role. They
are our driving force in our
journey towards success. A Teacher is
not necessarily the person who teaches
us in school or college. It can be any
person who gives you valuable life
lessons.
With changing times, education has
received a broader sense to it. Learning
of all kinds like, cooking, acting,
dancing, etc. have a variety of courses
and colleges to choose from. One such
course is Filmmaking.
Film making has been a course of
passion and enthusiasm. It is not every
day that we see or hear someone who
is learning or wants to learn
filmmaking. One passionate Filmmaker
Subhash Ghai founded Whistling
Woods International (WWI), a
filmmaking school located in Mumbai,
to pass on his knowledge to the
upcoming generation of filmmakers.
The President of WWI, Meghna Ghai
Puri, has been a constant and strong
pillar in the journey WWI’s holistic
growth. Immense energy, passion and
perspective has gone into bringing
WWI to life. Let us learn about the
journey of Whistling Woods
International from, Mrs. Meghna.
Kindly brief us about you and your
journey since the beginning of your
career.
I had just finished college education in
Business Management from Kings
College UK, when my father called me
back to India to start Whistling Woods
International (WWI). Avery successful
filmmaker of his time but always a
teacher at heart, he had always dreamt
of building a film school.
It was a promise that he had made to
himself when he had first started
working in the industry, to provide a
formal platform to the talents of our
country. I knew how passionate he was
about this and returned to India to help
this dream blossom into a reality. And,
of course, somewhere along the way,
his dream became mine as well.
How do you describe yourself in one
sentence?
I would say I am a compassionate and
empathetic human being. I like to help
people and see the joy in their lives. It
makes me genuinely happy to see
others happy.
What is your source of motivation &
inspiration that drove you to become
an educator?
My father’s dream and passion to build
WWI for the next generation
filmmakers was the paramount
inspiration for me to get involved.
Having an ethos of creativity around
me since my childhood and then
pursuing a Business Management
degree somehow joined the dots for
me. I realised that managing an
institute of film, communication and
creative arts was the place for me.
Tell us about the challenges you
faced to withstand the complexities
of the educational forums.
I would like to mention a quote by
Joshua J Marine that I really love.
“Challenges are what makes life
interesting and overcoming them is
what makes life meaningful.” The past
decade has shown me how life’s
challenges must be accepted and dealt
with courageously. I feel strongly that
challenges always lead to
opportunities. And in my
entrepreneurial journey of 20 years, I
find this to be very true.
In an industry as dynamic as ours -
keeping abreast with growing trends
can be very challenging.
For instance, not just staying in sync
but staying ahead of times, with
technological advancements. Being an
educational institution, we have
embraced this challenge and are
focussed to stay ahead of the time.
Students associate with us to attain
education and be able to carve their
niche in the industry; hence, it
becomes very crucial for us to stay in
balance with new technologies, ways
of working and new academic
advancements as well.
In this way, our budding talents can
adapt to the change they aspire to
bring. So, at any given point of time,
WWI is always 6-8 months ahead of
the regular technological advances.
Secondly, people management also
possess its own challenges. It takes a
lot to groom and retain good talents
and most importantly to ensure they
stay passionate about the professional
goals.
In addition, we also faced a major
challenge that led us to being forced to
vacate our campus. Fortunately, we
stayed in positive spirits and continued
doing our best. Just like the lotus
blooms in muddy waters, my
Meghna Ghai Puri
Inspiring Lives to Accomplish Dreams
16 | THE KNOWLEDGE REVIEW | SEPTEMBER 2020

The role of educators is one of responsibility as you
set out to empower the next generation of students“ “
INTERVIEWWITHTHEKNOWLEDGEREVIEW
Meghna Ghai Puri
President
SEPTEMBER 2020 | THE KNOWLEDGE REVIEW | 17

entrepreneurial journey has been just
like that lotus…we have been able to
thrive amidst all the chaos.
Brief us on your perspective about
the current scenario of the
educational sector.
Indian education system has the
potential to be completely reshaped by
newly introduced technologies,
processes, and services. However, we
still have a long way to go before we
are able to fully utilise these new
systems. Though, owing to the current
Covid-19 scenario, we have embarked
on this journey of revolutionised
methods in the education sector.
Teachers need to inculcate digital skills
and be trained to effectively implement
new teaching methodologies in their
classrooms.
The existing technologies available to
schools need to be upgraded and
modernised in order to allow the
integration of new technologies. And
students need to be made receptive of
new learning techniques. Only once all
these steps have been accomplished,
will India truly benefit from this latest
industrial revolution.
The biggest recent development in the
Indian education sector has been the
Draft National Education Policy (NEP)
2019. The introduction of new
educators is bound to have a net
positive impact on the sector. Their
arrival will be accompanied by an
infusion of funds, allowing for world-
class teachers to be recruited and
trained. Significant investments in
infrastructure are always required for
new endeavours.
Private players also bring with them
the experience of the real world, which
I feel is very important especially in
the times today. This is vital in a
creative field like ours and Whistling
Woods International has already
adopted and successfully carried out
this model for the past 14 years. I
believe we should view it as a boon
and complement traditional means of
education with their learning rather
than viewing them as threats.
Another key development, both in
India and across the world, has been
the advent of e-learning. E-learning
and digitisation have opened new and
exciting pathways within the education
sector allowing a vast number of
people to attain knowledge and
qualifications.
By incorporating the latest
technological advancements, the
factors preventing access to education
have been stripped away – costs have
massively reduced, geographical
distance is no longer a concern, and
overcrowded classrooms and lack of
qualified teachers have become issues
of the past.
Whistling Woods International has
always been at the forefront of
advancing the education sector, and we
have done so in this instance as well
with the introduction of the WWI
Virtual Academy. Our pioneering e-
learning platform offers video-based
courses across multiple creative fields.
Through the melding of technology
with our unique teaching
methodologies, the WWI Virtual
Academy allows aspirants from across
the country the opportunity to explore
a career in the creative arts through a
flexible, state-of-the-art curriculum.
Which people or books have had the
most influence on your growth and
why?
My father has been and remains the
most influential person in my life. I
have learnt and continue to learn so
much from him. Also, for the past 10
years I have been reading books by
Buddhist philosopher, educator &
President of the Soka Gakkai
International - Dr. Daisaku Ikeda.
President Ikeda has been at the
forefront of founding schools and
universities based on the Buddhist
concept of Humanism under Soka
Schools & Universities. The purpose of
Soka Humanism is the endeavour to
educate children to become happy first.
Success will follow. I really believe
that this is the only way to build a
better, more peaceful society. So,
books by President Ikeda have really
had a deep impact on my thinking as
an educator and I wish to bring that
through my work at Whistling Woods
International and in education.
According to you, what are the
essentials of being a good educator?
President Ikeda says “Education is to
ignite a flame. When teachers burn
with a passion for truth, the desire to
learn will be ignited in their students’
hearts. When teachers are excited
about culture and beauty, the creativity
of their students will leap up like a
bright flame.”
A good educator influencer apart from
being compassionate and dedicated
needs to possess a passion for learning
themselves. They should strive to be a
role model for children, while willing
to put in efforts and never give up on
them.
As it goes without saying that
educators, be it teachers or parents, are
the most important members of our
society. They have the ability to shape
positive and inspired future
generations. Apart from making
children future-ready, a good educator
molds a purpose in their life. They
inspire children to dream bigger, while
helping them to push their limits and
creativity, enabling them to enhance
their potentials.
What advice you would give to the
new-age educators?
“Education can make the invisible
visible in the same way that
empowerment transforms
powerlessness. Education that can
spark that transformation, that can
ignite one’s passion, is education that
can transform the world.” - Maria
Guajardo, Dean of Faculty of
International Liberal Arts, Soka
University
The role of educators is one of
responsibility as you set out to
empower the next generation of
students. If you approach being an
educator as the calling of your life,
inspiring and creating future greatness,
the satisfaction received is exponential,
while serving a higher purpose
becomes contagious. T R

An old, but epic saying from Hindu mythology
roughly translates to ‘When My Teacher is
standing with The God, whom shall I greet first? It
shall definitely be the Teacher; after all he was the one who
made me aware about the significance of God in the first
place!’
Such has been the timeless beauty of student-teacher
relationship in our times that this bonding has maintained
its gravity since ages without even being stained a tad due
to the changing tides of the time. Now this relationship has
advanced with times and owing to current circumstances,
has shifted to Influencer Education.
With the passage of time the definition of Teachers and the
Art of Teaching per-se has changed a lot and now provides
with a different perspective. It has become more
understanding based and has devoured a taste for the
technological world. Technology has been taking over the
masses and has been in schools for a decade now with Ed-
tech. Ed-tech has been in the market for sometime now and
has definitely made its presence felt.
Education Influencers have become the new ‘it’ thing when
it comes to online learning. They have devoured different
techniques for presenting education in a way that makes it
drastically simple.
One such Influencer is , Co-founder ofCS Ankit Tiwari
LectureDekho.com. By qualification he is a Company
Secretary and as far as professional journey is concerned he
started his career with Satin Creditcare Network Limited.
His last Company was Satya MicroCapital Limited and he
served as Company Secretary and Compliance officer.
Inspiration behind the Company
The inspiration comes from being a CS from a small town
where learning opportunities were limited. He wanted to
create a platform that could serve all the students facing the
same issues he had faced in the initial phase of his career.
The idea of “Lecture Dekho” came from his own life and
from all the issues he himself faced as a student
Mr. Vivek Tiwari, MD & CEO of Satya MicroCapital
Limited had always inspired him a lot from the day he
joined his group. He had an implicable aura. This is what
CS Ankit Tiwari had to say, “A guy who started from zero
and joined the Thousand crores club and still so down to
earth, his warm nature the way he treats his employees
inspired me a lot.” His biggest learning is that Expense is
income. Don’t be afraid of expense today’s expense is the
source of tomorrow income.
Institute’s Association with Social Media
LectureDekho deals with school education and one of the
most important thing being that they are the most affordable
Ed-Tech Company in this Country. They provide quality
content to students at the most affordable prices through
their Mobile App which is available on play store by the
name of LectureDekho- Inspire Learning.
Being an educational company, technology plays the key
role for teaching and reaching out to thousands of students.
“sometimes I wonder how drastically we had grown up in
the last 20 years... And when it comes to social media... I
would love to say its like those extra chocolate chips on a
chocolate cake without which we all can't survive.”, said
Mr. Tiwari.
Social media has become an undeniable part of everyone’s
general routine and being the founder of an Ed-tech
company has encouraged him to comply with the social
knick knacks. Reaching and educating students and parents
has never been easy.
Interactive learning : need of the hour
Mr. Tiwari shared his views, “I still remember reading a
survey result that says, ‘we remember 10% of what we
CS Ankit TiwariMentor to Educational Leaders

learn, we remember 20% of what we hear, we
remember 30% of what we see and we remember
50% of what we hear and see.’
Currently, maximum amount of students study via
learning and listening and they can remember upto
maximum 20% of what they hear and learn while
in interactive, online content they can remember
50%.
So, interactive, online content helps the students in
understanding concepts in place of mugging up.
NEP : Boon or bane?
The founder thinks that NEP is just that change
that was required in the education system. Our
outdated education system had been creating
hurdles and to be able to compete meaningfully
and equally has become the need of the hour. He
thinks that this was an absolutely right and long
awaited decision that the government has ﬁnally
taken.
Introduction of newer subjects and broadening of
the students horizons is exactly what was needed.
A word of advice
Mr. Tiwari thinks that he himself is in the learning
process, as this never stops.
He shares from his own personal experience that,
“all one needs to do is sit with the kids. Be friends
with them play with them and learn from them
then only you would be able to understand what
are their wants. What is their basic need, and the
little thing that if provided to them they can do
wonders that me and you can't even imagine. So all
you need to do is spend time with kids.”
Future Prospects
Ankit aims to help more than 10 million students
with their careers by the end of the year 2022
while going along with them and be a part of their
journey. He has powerful plans for his company
and would like to maintain his success as marking
stone for the journey he is about to embark.
““
T R
CS Ankit Tiwari, Co-Founder,
LectureDekho.com
(Most Aﬀordable Learning App in India)

In recent times of rapid and insightful revolution,
education needs ever evolving development, believes
Mr. Arpit Chadha, the Vice Chairman of one of the
leading Group of Educational Institutes of India, I.T.S – The
Education Group. Mr. Chadha has therefore fore-visioned to
purposefully augment upon curriculum innovation and talent
development of students and faculty. AnAlumnus of Scindia
School and University of Delhi, Mr. Chadha is a Post
GraduateinBusinessAdministration.
I.T.S is a 25 years old leading educational group of the
country. The Group provides an array of courses that
contribute to the ultimate ambition and goals of many young
nascent professionals. It offers 17 Diploma, UG, PG & PhD
Programs in the areas of IT, Management, Engineering,
Dentistry, Pharmacy, Biotechnology & Physiotherapy along
with 02 Hospitals.The Group was started in 1995 and has now
grown in 4 different campuses, 8 Institutes with over 8000
students.
CreatingBenchmarks
Under the visionary leadership of Mr. Chadha, I.T.S – The
Education Group is creating benchmark in the field of Higher
Education to be followed by others and is committed to
provide high quality education and to serve the
underprivileged segment of society. These efforts are well
recognized and appreciated. A keen drive for continuous
improvement follows Quality initiative, sustenance and
enhancement, hence the working of the institution revolves on
patient management software thereby enabling a completely
digitized hospital which renders patient management in an
organizedmanner.
Along with this, the college augments academic learning
through innovative teaching methods such as flipped
learning, microteaching, hospital training, digital methods,
webinars and Integrated Academic Reinforcement &
Curriculum Enhancement (IARCE) which includes
Enhanced modification of curriculum, integrated teaching,
Feedback system and Curriculum enrichment to make the
learning experience more interactive. The institute has
propelled to scale new heights under his able guidance and has
shown tremendous growth through time and resources offered
by him. The institute is known for organizing various national
and international conferences to fetch updates of up and
coming academic details. The conferences are elaborated on
the premises of research and development so that the students
are informed about forthcoming advancements in their
respective fields. His commitment to quality education and
relentless pursuit for perfection has helped the institute rise
exponentiallywithinashortspan.
His dynamic role in promoting progressive ideas, building a
strong infrastructure, adopting technically advanced
methodologies in teaching, encouraging research activities
and recommending collaborations have brought the institute
atanexemplaryplatformof dentaleducation.
EmbracingTechnology
Mr. Chadha strongly believes that aspiring college instructors
also need to know much more now in order to teach
effectively. A large and increasing body of useful knowledge
has accumulated about learning and pedagogy, as well as the
design and effectiveness of alternative methods of instruction.
As evidence accumulates about promising ways of engaging
students actively, meanwhile, the advent of new technologies
has given rise to methods of teaching that require special
training. He has taken significant steps to organize webinars
and online education programs by distinguished speakers and
alumni for global exposure and upgrading skills and
knowledgefor allstudentsandfaculty.
In addition, he has also taken efforts to bridge the gap between
theoretical teaching and technology-based advanced practical
learning through incorporation of latest advancements like
Cone beam CT technology, CAD-CAM,Artificial simulation
centre and Centre for Advanced Research in revolutionizing
routine dental diagnosis and research. Also there has been
advancements regarding technology enabled tools like video
(stream and live), learning management systems,
collaborative platforms, data visualization which have
imparted quality and focused teaching and learning
environment for Information technology and management
students.
Encouraging Extracurricular Activities as a Part of
Curriculum
Mr.Chadhaalwaysencouragesholisticdevelopmentof
Arpit Chadha
A Stellar Edupreneur Redefining Education

young individuals. He at all times prophesses intertwining of
extracurricular activities with academic advancements. Being
himself an active member of many prestigious sports and
other association bodies, he encourages by setting an example
for young minds to be proactive in various platforms of
knowledge and other activities. Mr. Chadha has been recently
elected as Vice President of GMA. He is a vibrant member of
diverse Professional bodies including CEGR, AIMA, ICCI,
ICPEI and contributing in the growth and promotion of
education, research & sports in the country. He is a
distinguished member of Delhi District Cricket Association
(DDCA), Vice President, Table Tennis Association, Vice
President, Chess & Sports Association of Ghaziabad and
PatroninChief,KarateWelfareSociety.
He decisively believes in sturdy enhancement of
extracurricular activities of the students. The college
celebrates various inter and intra college cultural and sports
events (Occlusion and Euphoria) and encourages its students
to participate in cultural activities hosted by other colleges for
their comprehensive development. The students actively
participate in leisure activities which includes yearly
excursiontrips.
His contributions towards promoting Sports in the vicinity are
noticeable. He has been credited for bringing various State &
National Championships of different Games including Table
Tennis, Badminton, Chess, Karate etc. in Ghaziabad.Towards
this, various initiatives of I.T.S – The Education Group
including - Sports and education for deprived segment of
society through the initiatives like – DISHA, UTTHAAN,
PARIVARTAN and Healthcare through Mobile Clinics and
Hospitalsinruralareasarewidelytalkedaboutinitiatives.
Education &HealthforAll
Mr. Chadha has always believed in the policy “Education and
Health for all”. He has always been working and guiding the
team taking up the Education and Healthcare to last person in
the society. He has contributed to the betterment of society by
providing health and education facilities specifically to the
underprivileged strata who need them the most. All his
initiatives and contributions have been widely recognized by
various organizations including ASSOCHAM, Scouts &
Guides Organization,ICCI, CEGR andEducationReview.
Some GloriousRecognitions andAwards
The institute is extensively involved for the extension
activities targeted towards social/community developments
and has received various awards for such contributions. Mr.
Chadha has been recently awarded with the “Most Preferred
UG & PG Institute of the Year”” by Bharat Ratna, Padma
Vibhushan His Excellency Ex. President Shri Pranab
th
Mukharjee in New Delhi duringASSOCHAM 12 Education
Conclave. He has also been awarded with Young
Entrepreneur Award by leading Media House of Delhi-NCR,
HINT Media Group. Recently he was awarded with Mahatma
Gandhi Skill Wave India Award - 2019 for his innovative
leadership. He has also been awarded with Lord Bedden
Powell NationalAward by his Excellency Governor ofAssam
and Award from Chairman National Board of Accreditation
for Best Private Under Graduate College in India. His
glorious achievements also include Best Edupreneur Award,
DevangMehtaAward andmanymoreinthepast.
Besides, Mr. Chadha has been an invited speaker at various
forums of national and international repute with global
outreach. He has expressed his views on various present-day
topics at different forums, summits, conferences and
conclaves. He has also been actively involved in interactive
sessions on various online and digital media platforms
recently. He has given his expert outlook and views on
contemporary topics such as impact of online teaching in
professional educational courses and changes in educational
methodologies in post- COVID era. He has also expressed his
views on seeking positive outcomes in the way educational
institutions have embraced the online education system in
theseextraordinarycircumstances.
Arpit Chadha,
Vice Chairman
T R

EDUCATION
OverseasPERKS AND ADVANTAGES
Education differs from country to country. It
also differs from institute to institute as not
every institute offers the same courses, same
degrees, same quality of education, etc. Every country
has its own culture which can be seen in the way of
teaching as well. Students all over the world want
education from recognized colleges of the world. Now-
a-days it has become a trend for students to pursue
education away from their homeland.
Various countries now offer internationally recognized
education from some of the top educators and
academicians. It has become one of the preferred type
of education among the students. There are several
potential destinations like Canada, United States,
United Kingdom, France, and other countries for
students to choose from. The perks that colleges offer
also vary.
World-Class Universities
All over the world there are universities and colleges
that are renowned for their research and innovation.
There is a diversity of higher education in Canada,
United States etc. The size, scope, character and

breadth of programs vary. The academic standards are high and the
quality control systems give students the benefit of high quality
education. Many countries provide degree or diploma which are
recognized equivalent to that obtained from United States or any other
Commonwealth countries.
Study and Work
Among the various other benefits, one of the benefits for students
studying overseas is that they can work while they study. They can earn
and manage their finances without incurring enormous loans. There are
a few guidelines in general that most countries need students to follow
to work off-campus.
Education Opportunities

• They should have a valid study permit
• They should be a full-time student
• They should be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a
degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration
• They should be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level, or in Quebec, a
vocational program at the secondary level
If the candidate is eligible according to the above-mentioned requirements, then the study permit allows
him/her to:
• Work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and
• Work full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.
Campus Lifestyle
In foreign countries, it is not all work and no play. The overseas college post-secondary campuses are wired
with abundant latest technology. They also offer countless modern amenities for the students to enjoy.
There are sports facilities, concert halls, art galleries, etc. University campuses offer numerous possibilities
for learning as well as leisure.
Post Graduate Work Permit
The post graduate work permit is a typical path for a student to gain a permanent resident status in
countries like United States, Canada, etc. This is not available in many countries too, so it would be wise to
check before enrolling into any college or course. Without this feature available it is difficult to obtain work
permit as well as work. A work permit may be issued after the completion of the study program. Generally,
the duration of this permit is either the duration of the completed course or up to a maximum of three years.
If a student has completed a thirteen-month course then their permit will be of thirteen months and if a
student has completed a four-year course the permit will be given only for three years.
There are countries that do not see international students as a source of income. Some countries want
international students for the sole purpose of nation-building. They want students to study there and
contribute to the country socially and economically, and if possible stay permanently.T R

We all have come across a profound saying by
Leonardo Da Vinci that “Simplicity is the
ultimate form of sophistication”. Having aptly
inculcated this approach in his life, Bunker Roy has been
one striking instance of this ideology. Roy is an Indian
social activist and educator, whose simplicity and
excellence can be witnessed through his Social Work and
Research Centre, widely known as the Barefoot College.
How it all Started?
Roy went to the most expensive, snobbish and elitist school
(Doon School) and College (St Stephens) in India. While he
was still the Indian National Squash Champion in 1965 he
responded to a call by Jayprakash Narayan and helped in
the Bihar Famine. It changed his life. In 1967, he decided to
work as an unskilled daily labourer for five years digging
100ft deep open wells through hard rock in the deserts of
Rajasthan for drinking water. In this period, he experienced
the incredible wonders of traditional indigenous knowledge,
simple practical skills, and village wisdom that Mahatma
Gandhi talked about that had stood the test of time. They
had never been brought into mainstream thinking to be
identified, respected and applied on a global scale with a
view to improving the quality of life of the rural poor.
Following the simple revolutionary practical ideas of
Gandhi in 1971 (48 years ago), Roy constructed the
Barefoot College at $ 1.50/sq.ft using illiterate rural
barefoot architects. They received the Aga Khan Award for
Architecture but it was returned because professional paper
qualified architects objected. It is one of the very few places
left in India where Gandhian values of simple living and
collective decisions making are still alive.
He challenged the system by putting Gandhian thought into
practice on to a global platform to remind the world he is
still relevant. You can see and hear the calming non violent
message of Gandhi through the life style and work style of
the Barefoot College.
An Inspiration turned into Institution
Roy never considered education as an Industry. His
inspiration was an idea to start a unique College only for
the rural poor where more emphasis and focus would be
given to the upliftment of rural women who were illiterate.
st
Alvin Toffler said “The illiterate of the 21 Century will not
be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot
learn, unlearn and relearn.”
When asked about his role model, he mentioned the names
of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Roy’s wife Aruna. He
has learnt compassion, patience, tolerance, humility and an
openness to unlearn. He has learnt more from the poor than
from the rich and wealthy and famous, as he believes that
other than money given ungracefully they have really
nothing to offer.
Illiteracy is not a Barrier Anymore
Barefoot College is the only College in the world which
does not consider “Illiteracy” as a barrier to any person
wanting to be among other skills such as a solar engineer,
an architect, a health worker, a designer, a communicator or
even a barefoot dentist! The strange thing about this
College is that it’s the only College where should anyone
apply with a Ph.D or a Master, they are disqualified to
come.
Roy is of strong belief that fundamental mindset change in
poor village communities is only possible if we empower
illiterate rural women with sophisticated technology skills
usually identified with men. They will be the change agents
and role models of tomorrow and inspire rural youth
especially girls.
Since the early 2000, the College has been training illiterate
rural women (mostly between ages 35 to 50) in 6 months
through the use of sign language to be competent and
confident solar engineers. These illiterate women know
more about fabrication, installation, repair and maintenance
of fixed solar units and solar lanterns than any graduate
after 5 years of University education. Now, the Barefoot
College operates in 1,300 villages in 96 countries
worldwide. The impact of direct training and services
ripples out to impact about two million people, giving
Bunker Roy
Exemplifying ‘Simple Living High Thinking’

communities access to clean water and safe,
reliable energy.
In 2018 the NGO Advisor, a Geneva based
independent media organisation committed to
highlighting innovation, impact and governance in
the non profit sector, judged Barefoot College as
th
the 13 best NGO out of 500 in the world.
Gandhian Lifetsyle
Roy believes in setting an example for others. He
still follows a simple gandhian life style after 48
years of starting the College. He still sits on the
floor in his office and takes the minimum wage
prescribed by the State Government i.e. Rs
12,000/month. He doesn’t believe in using social
media like twitter, blogs and Facebook to spread
the message, as he uses none. He believes that the
bush telegraph or word of mouth is equally strong
as social media. Perhaps it is his simplicity that has
attracted many other people today. His talk at TED
Global 2011 in Edinburgh has over 4.3 million
hits and been translated into 45 languages.
th
On 6 June 2017, Princeton University honoured
Bunker Roy with an honorary degree of Doctor of
Laws. He is the first and only Indian in the history
of Doon School and St. Stephens College, Delhi
University to have received this honor. The last
Indian to have been so recognized was Nani
Palkiwala, then Indian Ambassador to the US in
1978.
Promising Future
Roy asserts that the Barefoot College is a
community based organisation. What he sees
ahead of him are serious challenges outside the
four walls of the schools where millions of people
are facing hunger and starvation and it is the duty
of every citizen who are fortunate enough to have
food to eat to think how best they can contribute.
Roy is striving through the Barefoot College to
address these basic problems so that within 500
kms around them there are Hunger Free Villages.
“
“T R
Bunker Roy
Founder Director

Importance of Developing
Communication Skills
come from humble family background, my parents
Iwere like any parent who would put their children’s
education on top priority. Having said that my big
fat family is full of authors, orators & professors who
made sure that their knowledge is well spread among
generations.
One thing that runs well in the family is “The gift of
gab”, each one of us come with worthy communication
skill, but not everyone gets it right all the time, we still
end up misunderstanding landing to communication
gaps.
This is the reason why Communication is considered a
skill is because it can and it must be honed. In this
article, I would take you through some best practices to
learn & practice the skill of communication in your daily
life and also throw some light on ‘what not to do’.
Quoting George Bernard Shaw “The single biggest
problem in communication is the illusion that it has
taken place”, it is imperative to understand the
repercussions of misinterpreted communication. Most of
the time, it is because of the assumptions we create based
on our previous experience, failed understanding of
language or terminology, bias & prejudices.
Hence when we think of developing this skill, we need to
have a well-rounded approach.
Being earnest communicators can make us better
executives, team leaders, negotiators, home managers,
partners and so much more. We can manage complex
activities, delegate efficiently, handle the challenging
conversation, conflicts, encourage our people, and
strengthen relationships. Effective communication not
only empowers one to express but also enables one to be
an empathetic listener.
Many times I get asked by my trainees “If the language
has to be a deal-breaker in communication” to which
I say that language does help you avoid
miscommunication but the real deal-breaker are three
A’s of Communication; Articulation, Assertiveness &
Authenticity.
Articulation: Regardless of how engaging or interesting
your content is, it will turn out to be an uphill struggle to
influence, inspire, or inform your audience about your
purpose of communication. To be able to speak your
mind, you need to develop your thinking ability
followed by practice to express your thoughts by:
• storytelling (written + oral),
• record and listen to yourself while speaking,
• identify your unique fillers and consciously work on
removing them
• Time your speed
• build on your vocabulary
• applaud yourself for your minute progress
• Take inspiration from good speakers
• Listen to podcasts & attend speaking sessions
• Participate in open mics
• Dissect your weaknesses & work on them one at a
time
Assertiveness: You must have heard a term called
“being your advocate”, this best describes the quality of
assertiveness.
Another common complaint I hear from managers,
parents, teachers, sales associates, or people of a similar
profession is “unable to say no” “cannot reprimand”,
“unable to question back”, I am sure it happens with
many of you when you find it hard to put your point of
view with clarity & conviction. The reason behind this is
lack of discipline, wrongly set examples, poorly defined

Ms. Neha Mishra, Leadership Trainer, Communication Coach &
Partner with Epinomi Consulting is a thought leader & a new gen
entrepreneur with 13 years of experience in corporate
communication & marketing. She is an MBA by education and is also
certied in Neuro-Linguistic Psychology, Career Counselling,
Personality Development Analysis, and trained in Cognitive Behaviour
Therapy. She also conducts counselling sessions and coaching
assignments for individuals. So far, she has trained more than 30000
individuals across age in various skills & self-realization workshops. She is also
partners at Epinomi Consulting which is into facilitating transformative learning
through customized & blended learning programs.
You can connect with her at neha@epinomi.com or on her social media handles:
AbouttheAuthor
@Nehtalks @Nehayesitsme @NehaTalks
SkillinDemand

goals, lack of confidence, self-ego. Hence you end up
either compromising or land in trouble due to poor
decision making.
Assertiveness is all about setting expectations from the
communication that is about to happen, it is about
managing their emotions. If you make sure to clearly
define your purpose of the discussion and what does it
mean to you. Set goals for yourself & your teams,
communicate about your time commitments well in
advance. Here are a few tips to practice Assertive
Communication;
• Do a tech rehearsal to practice how you would like to
look and sound
• Remain focussed on the issue & do not stray
• Use the technique of calm repetition of your point
even though you feel others being argumentative
• Accept the criticism, acknowledge it and bring the
discussion back to the original point
• If you feel cornered by your audience, do not be
apologetic in your discussion, in place of using
phrases like “I am sorry”, say “I accept my mistakes
and I believe I can improve on myself”
• Remember to always conclude by rephrasing yourself
• Make sure to use a non-manipulative language &
adopt a non-judgemental approach
Do not forget effective assertive communication is not
about being rude or derogatory to someone, instead, it is
about knowing & understanding the expectations of your
teams and communicating your goals so that together
you can drive effective collaboration.
Authenticity:
In one of my training cohorts with a group of mid-level
managers of a large corporate house, I asked “If there
was an upcoming change proposed in the organization
which required restructuring, would they as managers be
comfortable to communicate to their team leads &
members?”, to which here were the common responses
“I am not sure”, “I will tell them when the right time
comes”. “My team anyways needs restructuring, now I
can say on behalf of the organization”, “They will not be
able to take it in good spirit”, “Their motivation will be
down”.
I noticed that all managers focussed on the final reaction
of their team members, very few focussed on the
process. I call authenticity in communication as the
process that takes time to build. It is not an easy tide to
ride. One of the biggest reasons why teams and
relationships fail is because we are not focussing on
building trust & transparency in our communication.
The next day of the cohort when I tweaked the same
question to “how would they feel if they were not told
about the big change coming up”, they felt the emotions
of:
• Deceive
• Anger
• Frustration
• Fear
As quoted by Sheryl Sandberg “I learned that effective
communication starts with the understanding that there is
MY point of view, (my truth), and someone else's point
of view (his truth)”, this should become the base of
communication.
Authentic communication helps in removing barriers
of communication, makes you more dependable, and
lets you make mistakes in other forms of
communication because it gives you the power of
people being on your side. After all, miscommunication
is reciprocal.
To sum it up, I would say that Communication skill is
considered a critical skill for your personal &
professional growth. It makes you express, become
dependable, lead people, influence, and inspire
generations. Remember it neither comes easy nor leaves
you high & dry!
Honing it ensures you a lifetime success. Just do not
stop attempting and let no barrier (self-constructed
or external) come in the way to your long persistent
growth. T R

The educational industry today is observing a change
in its dynamics due to the sudden outbreak of the
novel Coronavirus. As this disease has put
constraints in the modes of studying like group study or
classroom study, the education sector has been diverted to
adopt digital platforms to enable learning for students.
Various innovative learning modules and processes are
implemented to facilitate a hassle-free learning experience
for students. Not only students but teachers are also
adapting to the digital transformation that the industry is
going through. This crisis has paved the way for a teaching
mechanism that is going to shape the future.
Rachit Agrawal, Co-founder of AdmitKard is similarly
helping students through a digital platform that takes all the
hassle of physical admission process away. AdmitKard
provides students with the necessary aid for applying to a
course or an institute overseas. Let’s get an idea of how Mr.
Agrawal is creating solutions for students who wish to go
abroad for studies through this interview given below:
Kindly brief us about the graph of your career as an
educationist. Also, tell us about your entrepreneurial
journey.
I am a graduate of IIIT Allahabad & IIM Calcutta, with a
good stint with top companies like Adobe and BCG. After
my successful exit from my previous Start-up Lifespan, my
Co-founder, Piyush & I, we both saw a huge potential in the
Ed-Tech arena, back in 2017.
Many teams were solving the problem of K-12,
TestPrep, Certification etc., but in our market research
we realized a big gap in college admissions as the
process was broken. It was a problem for both Indian
colleges and International admissions, it was even
more. Millions of students travel abroad every year
globally but they lacked the right, updated & unbiased
guidance which we believe can be delivered with
the help of technology and students who are currently
studying in those universities. Hence, we started
AdmitKard to bridge that gap and improve students’
experience.
Pertaining to your rich industry experience, how
according to you has the need for international
education and skilled labour increased over time?
As per the Ministry of External Affairs the number of
Indian students studying abroad in 2013 was 1.8 lakhs
which grew to 5.5 lakhs by 2017 and 10.9 lakhs by 2020.
Also destination countries where students are going
increased from 18 to 43. In the same time-frame such fast
growth has been witnessed by only a few traditional
verticals. A lot of these countries are facing the problem of
the aging population and India, being a country with an
average age of 26 becomes a great source of both students
and skilled labour.
The demand for International education & skilled labour
has always been there and will always be. What restricted
people from pursuing the same is the lack of correct
knowledge. With the advent of the Internet, people are now
more aware of their options. This has also led to people
getting more knowledge about opportunities and
scholarships. The ease of getting financial assistance has
also contributed big time to this scenario.
Please tell our readers more about AdmitKard and its
range of services.
AdmitKard is a Socio-Tech platform which helps students
in their end to end journey from Admission to Migration.
We intend to build a platform through which a student of
any country can migrate to any other country. It is a socially
active platform by the students, for the students.
The entire student admission process that takes place offline
has been mapped on a single online portal and hence
students can take entire control of their process. We believe
every student is unique and hence every student gets their
personalized plan generated by the platform itself.
Also current international students guide future aspirants on
AdmitKard as they feel they were misguided when they
were applying to study abroad. So a student coming on the
AdmitKard platform can avail all services ranging from
Information Research to Applications, Visa to Education
Loan, and Accommodations to Insurance, etc.
Rachit Agrawal
Enabling a Socially Active Platform by the Students, for the Students

What challenges have you faced throughout the course
of setting up AdmitKard?
Building a start-up is not easy. Also, when you're trying to
disrupt how an industry works or try to change customer
behavior, it's even harder. Being someone new to this
industry it took us time to understand the customer pain
points and industry constraints.
The biggest challenge that we've faced in the past has been
product adoption. The challenge affected us not only
externally but internally as well. When the entire Industry
asks you to come and meet physically, we ask people not to
meet us physically but digitally. Trying to amend the
thought process of students, parents and even our team
members has been a good challenge but now we have
overcome that.
What is your opinion on the effect of globalization on
the education sector?
Globalization has radically transformed the world in every
aspect. It is evident across all sectors – Manufacturing,
Services, IT, etc., and hence to do business better, there has
been a massive demand for multi-cultural team members.
Education has served as a backbone to the demand of all
such sectors and it continues to serve. In my view the
development of multicultural awareness from an early age
may integrate ideologies sourced from various societies to
arrive at well-balanced conclusions regarding issues that
surround the world as a whole.
Considering the current employment scenario impacted
by the COVID-19 crisis, according to you, which
educational discipline or industry could open the most
opportunities for the future workforce?
Well, Covid-19 has forced every one of us to change the
way we think or behave. Most of us including our parents
and grandparents have moved online and have started using
platforms like WhatsApp and Zoom etc. With more time
being spent online we are witnessing many more verticals
coming up like Content Creation (YouTube and TikTok),
and Digital marketing, etc.
The digital economy will continue to flourish and all the
traditional businesses will find a way to integrate it and
hence studying STEM (Science, Technology, and
Engineering with Mathematics) would remain evergreen for
students.
In EdTech we are witnessing students, colleges, teachers
moving online and hence a strong wave of online education
is being seen. It is similar to what demonetization did to the
T R
Rachit Agrawal,
Co-founder of AdmitKard
digital payments sector. Even after the demonetization
ended, the average number of people using digital payments
shot up multiple times as compared to previously observed
transactions. The same scenario will happen for Ed-Tech &
digital content creators after COVID19 is over.
What would be your advice to those who wish to venture
into the educational consultation business?
Build knowledge & keep customers success as a metric
would be my advice to young people planning to venture
into educational consultation. There are short-cuts but the
key would always be doing 1 thing better than everybody
else in the industry.
What have you envisioned for yourself with respect to
career growth?
Building AdmitKard as a global platform helping students
migrate from one country to any country. This one line
summarizes how I envision myself and my start-up to grow
in the coming years.

ducators play a major role in shaping our life and
Efuture. Any person can teach us a small lesson and
we would say he or she is an educator for us. A
good educator makes learning fun and valuable.
Educators are nothing less than artists, as educating is also
an art form that requires creativity. It is not an easy job to
impart knowledge into others in a way that the students will
understand. One such influential educator that we came
across is Mr. Pratish Nair.
In 2016, Mr. Pratish Nair along with his friends launched
Prahlad Kakar School of Branding and
Entrepreneurship with the sole aim to transform education
as they knew it. The vision grew and in 2019 they partnered
with NMIMS and the School of Branding and Advertising
was born.
Let us learn more from Pratish about their voyage towards
success and academic excellence
Kindly brief us about you and your journey since the
beginning of your career.
Looking back I can easily say each phase of my life has
shaped me into the person I am today. I am the product of
the places I have travelled, the people I have met and the
education I have been grateful to receive. I was born in
Banaras, did my schooling in Banaras and Panchgani, then
went on to graduate from Mumbai University and got my
MBA in Marketing from Manchester. I then finally pursued
the CIM degree from Lancashire, UK. My educational
journey has been exhilarating.
While pursing my MBA in UK, I spent a brief stint working
with Dolce and Gabbana in London. On my return to India I
was but naturally inducted into my family business. The
business was a robust 40 year logistics company and it was
my realm. But I felt like a fish without water. My father sent
me to USA with the only words of wisdom “Figure things
out”, which I hold true even today.
In US, I set up my first business in exports in Las Vegas and
New York. I went through tremendous failure, criticism and
anguish. I worked 24/7 to barely sustain myself. The
business finally took off and it self-sustained for an
additional three years, post my return. If there is anything
that I have learnt, it is that failure builds character and
makes you the person you are always meant to be.
Being an entrepreneur at heart with a continuous itch to
build something new, I then went on to start a corporate
training company with my friends. It was a booming
business and I put my skills to the test. We did a lot of
leadership workshops with Shashi Tharoor, Saurav
Ganguly, Brian Lara, Chetan Bhagat, Wasim Akram and
many more including Prahlad Kakar.
We trained more than 500 multi-national companies. While
being in the training industry, we did a lot of events for
companies and we soon metamorphosed into an educational
event management company. We organized a run in
Bangalore which we christened ‘Get Fit for Kids’. It was
the first family run in India, the first reverse run in India,
where we had more than 8000 participants.
The energy was high, the intent was right and exposure was
correct. So we started our own education institution to
transform people’s lives. I still believe I have a long way to
go in terms of breaking stereotype learning, getting the
government support for educational activities and turning
students dreams into a reality.
What is your source of motivation & inspiration that
drove you to become an educator?
Ironically, my source of motivation has been the endless
boring lectures, vis-à-vis the most entertaining lectures that
I have attended as a student. It was from the boring
lecturers that I learnt who not to be. This frustration
inspired me to become an educator.
Looking back I have realized that a few teachers changed
my life just by giving a few words of encouragement, a
PRATISH NAIRAn Ardent Educator Sculpting Young Intellectuals
Interview With The Knowledge Review

Our world requires
thinkers who can bring
change in this world
because whatever they
are going to do is going
to have an effect over
this planet
“
“
Mr. Pratish Nair

little direction and perspective. It was through them that I
learnt I could be a beacon of light in someone’s life. Today,
very few students actually like to attend lectures.
My challenge as an educator has always been about how to
make teaching an interesting trait. How can education help
a student reach their true potential? I have always been
clear that I didn’t want to educate for the sake of education.
Kindly tell us about the challenges you faced to
withstand the complexities of the educational forums.
The corporate world is very different from the educational
world. If there is one thing that I am grateful for, it is the
management team at all the corporate companies who
showed immense trust in us when we started our corporate
training company. They supported our vision and out of the
box workshops. It was something never done in the
corporate world before. We invited celebrities and experts
from various industries to shine their wisdom in the
corporate world.
The take was very different in the educational world
though. We created a school with ad-guru Prahlad Kakar to
teach students the wisdom of advertising and branding. To
bring out true creativity, we wanted students to face their
fears. The idea was of pushing people out of their fear like
placing them in a room full of snakes, just to make them
realize that snakes are just another animal.
In the beginning, people laughed at us while others were
curious, but no one was interested in investing. Slowly the
perception changed as our students stood out from the rest
in the corporate world. Our students are game changers, job
creators and will add value to our world. We believe we
have now taken education to the next level, where our
students are turning the ordinary into something extra
ordinary. We are trying to make a wholesome education
system. Our aim is to develop a student without fear, and
who are willing to explore, express and do something they
wish for and subsequently add value to this planet. We
believe we are a step in the right direction and have a long
way to go.
Brief us about the current scenario of the educational
sector.
The pandemic has been an eye-opener. It has helped us put
things in perspective. It took a virus to see that our
education system needs to change and be more adaptable. I
feel the education industry is going through a
transformative change for the better. I feel positive about
this.
Now the job of our government is to reach every one and
not just the privileged in the city. I have seen students from
tier-two and tier-three cities are hungrier and more
passionate than the students in the urban cities. I hope that
whatever we are planning should benefit everyone in the
country and it should change the education system for the
greater good.
As an educator, what do you think are the factors
influencing a career-decision? How do you think a
career decision should be made?
I would not like to call myself as an educator, even today
I’m a learner and will continue to learn till the last day of
my life. There are several factors that influence a career-
decision but how beautiful it would be if a 10-year-old kid
knows what he or she wants to become in their lives. But in
true honesty, we have no idea till the age of 20-25 of what
we want to do or become. Many of us just follow the
bandwagon or take up a job for its monetary benefits.
Our world requires thinkers who can bring change in this
world because whatever they are going to do is going to
have an effect over this planet. I want that thinking to be
imbibed by people and put as a gem of thought in a child,
then let the child decide what they want to become when
they grow up. I have seen some great artists, who at a very
young age know what they want to do. It is wonderful to
see their family support them to achieve their dream.
Career decision should be made by asking yourself, “What
is that one thing that will not make me feel that I am doing
a job? What will make me spring out of the bed and make
me work till 2 am, while still having fun? What is that one
thing that makes me happy?” The answers are easy but
often difficult to follow. The sad part is people give up on
finding their true passions.
One should have a heart-to-heart talk with themself and ask,
“What makes me happy? What would I be happy doing on
the last day of my life?” When you get that answer, please
make it your career. It will also require 100 % of your
commitment. Go ahead and do what your heart tells you –
because in the future one shouldn’t have to look for a job,
but have to create one.
What advice you would give to the new-age educators?
Do not concentrate only on the bright students. If you want
your students to bring a change in the world, make learning
more interesting for them. Hire the teachers that are not just
subject matter experts, but teachers who show more
empathy towards them.
Hire people who can laugh and dance with them.They have
been in school for 12 years of their lives. Make their life
beautiful, it is our responsibility. And how you want to go
about it is your call. The noblest profession is teaching and
nursing, they always give and try their best to provide. T R

“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning” – William
Arthur Ward, Writer
eing curious is the essence of learning anything.
BLeaning into daily problems with curiosity versus
worry and going back to our roots of being
childlike would be a starting point. A key value to keep
ourselves curious is humility. When we accept that there are
many more things to learn, than we already know, we stay
curious. It is like the Chinese proverb of keeping our cups
empty, of wanting to know more. One of the best ways to
keep ourselves curious is through quizzes. The question and
answer games can be played anytime, anywhere, and at
different levels to suit the people playing it.
Based out of Bengaluru, Sachin Ravi and Raghav
Chakravarthy, Co-founders, Walnut Knowledge
Solutions, use questions, stories, and activities to build
lifelong skills in children. Walnut has been working with
school children for the last 5 years engaging over 80,000+
children, partnered with 80+schools across the country, and
engaged 2000+ students and parents online. The flagship
product is QShala, a curiosity-based learning platform
designed to inculcate a continuous learning mindset and
equip children with 21st-century skills through questions,
quests, and “quriosity”, delivered via the online and offline
medium.
This time around, for a change, we had the privilege of
asking questions and it was the Co-founders turn to answer
them.
What is your idea of an educational influencer? How do
you align with that idea?
An influencer uses his or her leverage in terms of
experience or deep understanding in any domain to impact
the industry/domain in a positive way. We are using insights
we have garnered over the years in the education and K-12
learning eco-system to deliver products and services to
children which will make them lifelong learners,
collaborate effectively with industry colleagues to create
mutual partnerships for children. We are part of think tanks
including FICCI edtech task force to voice the demands of
the edtech industry to the Government.
What unique ideas have you implemented as a leader at
Walnuts Knowledge Solutions that make it different
from competitors?
Over the years of experience of working with school
children, we have created a unique curiosity curriculum
which not only builds critical skills needed for children for
navigating an ever-changing world but also be equipped
with tools for better decision making and enabling a child to
develop as an empathetic and responsible citizen of the
world. We are also leveraging technology to create an
effective curiosity-based learning AI platform that can give
insights to the child, parent, and other stakeholders on the
learning journey of the child and his/her own interest
thereby facilitating an informed career choice.
What’s the one thing you would change about the
education system (nationally or globally)?
The insistence on only marks- based assessment should be
replaced by multifaceted and diverse learning outcomes that
children usually exhibit. Further, creating safe-spaces in
school and other learning environments which kindle
curiosity, encourage exploration, experimentation, free
expression of independent thought, reduces fear of failing,
develops grit, growth mindset, and promotes
socio-emotional learning.
What aspects of your job are the most challenging and
how do you overcome them?
The most challenging aspect of our jobs is to take decisions
in the light of uncertainty and take calculated risks with
bold moves without full information.
Sachin Ravi &
Raghav Chakravarthy
Kindling Curiosity for Learning and Innovation

As much as possible we use quick
prototyping, user interviews/feedback loops,
accountability conversations/structures to
ensure we minimize the risks. We are
constantly building mental models/checks and
balances which help us avoid making grave
mistakes but continue to move to take bolder
bets.
What advice can you give to the aspirants
who seek to become influencers or leaders
in the field of education?
Think long term, leverage relationships, use
your influence to positively impact and
support education for children and
stakeholders who have access, and more
importantly extend it to those who do not have
access.
How do you perceive your career to be in
the near future?
For us it would be for the vision to build the
largest school/learning platform in the world
empowering the children with tools and skills
which help them lead fulfilling lives.
Beating the Quarantine Blues:
In the last couple of weeks during the lock
down, Walnut conducted a unique experiment
– “QShala Family Quiz” during the
weekends. The program grew from 50 families
to 11000+ families being engaged through a
fun quiz every weekend with participation
from families from across the world including
India, USA, Japan, Canada, Sweden,
Germany, Norway, UAE, the UK among
others. You can participate in the weekend
quiz by registering here.
(https://www.qshala.com/familyquiz) T R
Sachin Ravi
Co-founder
““
Raghav Chakravarthy
Co-founder

Each country has a highly skilled representative
willing to go beyond their call of duty to bring
world-class education to those who need it. Such
influencers have access to a huge database of resources for
teachers, schools, and colleges or universities. They believe
that equality in education for everyone is the greatest gift
one can offer the world. “Together we can make this dream
a reality,” says Sunil Sharma, an educational influencer
and CEO of EasyShiksha.
Mr. Sharma is exceptionally well-versed with the EdTech
industry of the country and with his online platform,
EasyShiksha, he has been making a difference in the field.
Despite being new in the industry, EasyShiksha has evolved
as a nationally acclaimed educational forum. As ones’
education does not end after a degree, EasyShiksha not only
helps you get educated in your field of interest by offering
online courses with certification but also guides you in
choosing your career based on your performance.
Through the following series of questions, we can
understand out how Mr. Sharma plans to enable education
that is feasible for everyone:
Kindly brief us about the graph of your career as an
educationist.
I consider myself a ‘tech-pundit’ driven by the social
change who has a deep understanding of the levers of
revenue growth, from picking up the phone to closing a
deal, to full-funnel digital acquisition, to building amazing
products. Being a creative and innovative professional, I
have helped develop various Indian and international
start-ups and platforms such as HawksCode, EasyShiksha,
Navhoo (a ride-sharing platform in the UK), AQT Australia,
Amstore Innovation UK, and Grasshopper Australia,
Maccabiah Israel, Qstomize and Podify Israel, and Make
My Styles to name a few. I have also worked with the US
government for a pioneering online education platform. I
am a passionate leader with first-class communication skills
and a long track record of successful management.
I am educated to a very high level, with extensive
knowledge of all current technologies, economic, social,
and regulatory issues. Being an inspiring and motivational
leader with first-rate interpersonal skills, I have the ability
and passion to develop the vision for any company. I can
push performance improvement whilst at the same time
delivering growth. I have built numerous widely admired
businesses and products in Human Resources, Educational,
Software Development, B2B/B2C as an entrepreneur.
These ventures include: HawksCode, EasyShiksha,
HRCrux, The NationalTV, HawksCool. EasyShiksha, an
endeavor of HawksCode, began with a vision to make
education better and easy for everyone. The education
platform aims to make Shiksha (education) easy for
educators and Edu-seekers alike. Coming from a rural
background, I faced multiple challenges in my path to
getting an education.
There was a lack of awareness and little information
available to students in small towns and villages about the
multiple options they can choose from. Due to financial
constraints, lack of information, and guidance about the
new-age education fields, I believe that children remain
orthodox in their thoughts and fail to get a proper education
following their skill-set. Hence, I was motivated to work in
the education sector to provide a level playing field to all
children, by providing them with information and
mentoring them on the varied opportunities available
globally. I quit my US-based MNC job in 2012 and founded
EasyShikha, which is based in Jaipur.
In this internet era, a student from a village too can get
information about opportunities with the help of an
Sunil SharmaMaking Education Better and Easy for Everyone

educational portal. We think that every student has the right
to get a quality education. Initially, EasyShiksha was
envisaged to be a simple website that provided user details
about thousands of colleges across India. Slowly, the web
portal evolved to provide students and parents all the
necessary tools required to help them make an informed
choice about the education and the jobs and career
prospects thereafter.
Over seven years, the website has come to host the
following verticals: Career Helper helps students know
their career choices. The program helps them discover their
strength, interest, and talent, thereby providing them
information on varied occupations. The career helper
program is based on four tests - IQ test, Basic Test,
Advance Test, and Psychometric test.
EasyShiksha Magazine, introduced in April 2018, is a small
prototype of EasyShiksha’s web portal. It aims to provide a
user with all information related to the field of education
like, case studies, opportunities, new updates in the
education world, and informatics. The Campus Ambassador
program enables the organization to stay connected with
colleges and their events. This initiative gives them a
chance to represent their college at a global web platform.
With the program students from all over India can share
their ideas and maximize their learning.
They are also responsible for administering and managing
the EasyShiksha events and activities on their campus. The
web portal also provides information on over 200 distance
learning online courses & internship training programs with
certification and support students and help them improve
their knowledge without being physically present for the
studies.
What is your idea of an educational influencer? How do
you align with that idea?
An educational influencer is an established independent
company/individual with high credibility on the topic of
education, usually with a niche focus. Educational
influencers may be teachers/instructors, education
enthusiasts, educational content creators, or ed-tech
companies/experts.
EasyShiksha is empowering students from small towns and
villages with online distance learning program offering
Sunil Sharma
CEO
online courses, internship training programs with
certification, Career Helper, Online Test series, Campus
Ambassador Programme, Enterprise plans for colleges &
universities, etc. Through its various verticals, EasyShiksha
hopes to empower the students and move from technical
knowledge to technical skills-based education programs.
What unique ideas have you implemented as a leader at
easyshiksha.com that makes it different from
competitors?
With digitization, students today go online to access
information related to their college education and for study
materials to prepare for competitive exams to gain insight
and real-time information about educational institutions.
Through EasyShiksha, users can explore thousands of
institutes with their courses, faculty, facilities, and
placement details and can choose the right institution for
higher education.
The website also provides a platform for colleges and
universities to advertise their courses. Further, many
institutes also publish their press releases on the website,
providing regular updates on school registration,
scholarship availability, exam results, jobs, and vacancies.
We believe that every student has the right to get a quality

education. EasyShiksha is a leading e-learning global
platform providing numerous services on a single platform
which makes us different compared to our competitors.
What’s the one thing you would change about the
education system (nationally or globally)?
While India is home to some of the oldest universities,
EasyShiksha opines that the present universities and
education institutions, other than the IITs and IIMs, fail to
focus on practical knowledge and skill development. Even
the school-level education does not provide any skill
development courses, as they focus primarily on theoretical
knowledge.
An outdated syllabus is also a big issue. Schools and
college curriculum are not updated. College syllabus should
be according to industry requirements. Our education
system does not offer working and research-based
programs. We need to produce creative minds from our
universities and colleges. India needs job creators, not job
seekers.
In your opinion, what is the best way to establish a good
relationship among students, staff, and parents?
We believe that the most valuable resource we possess is
our stakeholders (students, staff, and parents). EasyShiksha
provides students, staff, and parents a place to find support
and help. As we are all striving for the best e-learning
foundations for the students, we have the resources to make
this happen. The platform is built not only on someone’s
exceptional skills but rather on collaboration and teamwork
between all stakeholders. EasyShiksha unites students, staff,
and parents from all corners of the earth to find resources,
advice, and support as they strive for quality education.
What aspects of your job are the most challenging and
how do you overcome them?
Whether your users consist of students and staff or parents,
various roadblocks can prevent learners from actually
absorbing the content and the key aspects of eLearning
deliverable. As an eLearning professional, we have to
consider a wide variety of eLearning challenges such as
lengthy to-do lists, hectic work schedules, and several other
distractions, before designing your eLearning courses.
Sometimes a learner is not able to see the value or benefit of
the eLearning course, and especially how the subject matter
is going to help him/her in the real world. For learners to
become truly engaged in the overall eLearning process,
they have to be aware of how the content is going to
translate in real-world settings.
To overcome the challenges, we create effective and
enlightening eLearning courses & internship training
programs for our learners with a preview video, detailed
course description, etc., to encourage them to enrol for the
programs.
What advice can you give to the aspirants who seek to
become influencers or leaders in the field of education?
There is a revolution happening in the field of education
and expert educational influencers can help in this process
of bringing a positive change.
How do you perceive your career to be in the near
future?
Online learning platforms cannot completely replace a
college degree since it would not provide a student with all
the skills that he/she can develop in a real-time
environment. With the current COVID19 pandemic almost
every student, school, college, the university is switching to
eLearning platforms for online education and skill-based
courses.
EasyShiksha will be continuously striving to enhance the
eLearning platform and introduce the new online course,
training programs, and looking at even launching online
academic courses in the near future. Additionally we are
working at various levels to partner with leading colleges,
universities, institutions, and promoters etc., which will
give us a leading edge in the eLearning sector. T R

Personal
BRANDINGFor Millennial
Have you ever thought that You Are a Brand!!!
W
ell, you must be feeling that Brands are only
Companies. Let me help you understand this
Important Marketing Jargon that--
“Everybody and Everything around You has a Brand”.
We live in a world of Brands. Most, if not all, companies
pay attention to how they appear in public and work on
building their Unique Public Identity, competing to get
more eyeballs and more revenue from the market. So
why can’t we do the same?
You already have a Brand. What do people think when
they hear your name?
Now, what important is as you already have a brand, you
need to take more control over it. So that it leverages to
your benefit in Personal and Professional Life- Called
Personal Branding.
Let’s see how we define Personal Branding-
Personal branding is a process of carefully crafting your
Public Persona to portray the image you want people to
see and believe about you. It is a unique combination of
your skills, experiences, interests, personality, values and
beliefs – together this is your personal brand.
Why Personal Branding is Important?
Having carefully crafted Personal Brand helps
you stand out in the market and has a lot other
benefits which we will discuss here further. In
Contrast, if you don’t actively build your personal
brand and don’t have any control over it, other people
will form their own beliefs about what you are
and what you stand for.
Benefits of Building Your Personal Brand-
Building your Personal Brand carefully will
carry you towards success in Personal and
Professional Life. Let’s see how-
1. You are More Visible
Personal branding helps you stand out in the
crowd. Having your active visibility on online
and offline platforms turns you to greater opportunities
to grow.
2. Leverage Your Network
When you have a strong Personal Brand, people
believe in your values and skills and things you
stand for and therefore, they buy more from you, take
you more seriously for your opinions and consider you
more authentic in the specific field.

Shikha Sharma is a Leading
Educator, an Interna onally
Cer ﬁed Career Coach and So
Skill Trainer. She is also an
Experienced Human Resource
Professional and a listed Coach in
India and Canada.
She works with Students,
Professionals and with Businesses
in the areas of Career Coaching,
Career Development and So Skill
Training.
You can reach her for your
career queries at
M: 9315520496
(Call/ Whatsapp)
Email:
coachshikha1115@gmail.com
ABOUT
SHIKHA SHARMA
BRAND IN MAKING

3. You Become More Identifiable Person
Personal Brand helps you get noticed more and you
become more identifiable to your network which
otherwise would not happen. It gives you opportunities
to grow more and network more.
4. More Job/Business opportunities
There are Recruiters’ survey reports showing, people
with Strong Personal Brand are hired much faster, get
more opportunities in career, get more salary hikes and
are promoted faster. So why to leave that to chance. Take
benefit of having strong Personal Brand.
5. Your Credibility Grows
When you are more visible in your network with a strong
personal brand, your credibility grows for the values you
serve to your community. That is where you are
considered Thought Leader in your network and the
community you serve.
6. Strong Networking
If you have strong personal brand, you get more
networking opportunities, people would be more
interested to connect with you, to refer you and to buy
from you.
Now let us discuss some important tips to Building a
Strong Personal Brand for Yourself-
1. Build your website or blog online
This is a great way to start building your presence online.
Build your website (with your own name preferably) to
highlight your skills, experiences, achievements and
interest areas. Write blogs on your interest areas and start
sharing it on multiple social media platforms. This a
great platform to highlight your strengths.
2. Network Building
You can attend events, meetups and gatherings of your
interests to build strong networking and building
contacts with industry leaders. It will help you grow in
many ways in your professional life.
3. Work on your Social media presence
Be careful about what you post on your social media
accounts. Avoid posting stuff which can negatively
impact your online presence. Recruiters and Hiring
Managers often check your online presence like
Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. during hiring processes. You
don’t want to lose a great career opportunity just because
you didn’t notice your social media presence.
4. Update Your LinkedIn
This is your professional profile and a great platform to
showcase your skills, experiences, achievements and
network building. Join groups and conversations, share
content and interact with more people to establish your
presence on the platform. LinkedIn can work as a great
tool to land you awesome opportunities, jobs and
building professional network.
5. Intern or Volunteer Your Work
Volunteering your skills can help you build strong
professional network and gives you a chance to establish
yourself as a Leader. You can also Intern with leading
companies to learn and deliver their projects.
6. Professional Headshot
Having a professional headshot across platforms online
put you in a more professional light which increases your
credibility as a professional and a strong point to build
your irresistible Personal Brand.
You should know that Personal Branding is a Personal
Process and isn’t something that happens overnight, it
takes time but you can’t leave that to chance. You need
to take control over your personal narrative and make
sure that you know exactly what you want to share with
the world.
Plus, as your personal brand flourishes, you never know
what types of opportunities might present themselves
once you become well- known. T R

The 10 best educational influencers in india, 2020

The 10 best educational influencers in india, 2020

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (17)

Similar to The 10 best educational influencers in india, 2020

Similar to The 10 best educational influencers in india, 2020 (20)

More from Merry D'souza

More from Merry D'souza (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

The 10 best educational influencers in india, 2020