Higher Education Digest – October 2022 – 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders in Indian Higher Education

Want to Sell or find Investor for your Business?

October

-

Most Inspiring Women Leaders in Indian Higher Education

Head of Advisory Board

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor

Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews

Anjana K

Roshni Rajagopal

Komal Banchhor

Suchita Gonsalves Anuja Mulmule

Editorial Enquiry:

Ajay K Das Manjunath R

Rohith Poojary

Art & Design Sales & Marketing

George Abraham Reshma Ashokan

Enquiry:

Arati Waghmare

Anna Elza

Rupali Mohankar

Subscription www.highereducationdigest.com

International Representation

Americas

Connecta Global LLC 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, DE 19958, USA Europe

Connecta Global Ltd. 27, Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, UK

Middle East

Focus Innovation Technologies FZE P.O. Box 48299, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai, UAE

Asia-Pacific

Connecta Innovation Pvt. Ltd. Ramanashree Arcade, 18 MG Road, Bangalore – 560001, India

Higher Education Digest is a digital magazine published by Connecta Innovation Private Limited. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed in the content and pictures provided are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Connecta Innovation Private Limited or any of its members and we do not assume any responsibility. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the advertisements, its content, pictures, and all representation of warranties made in such advertisements are those of the advertisers and not of the publisher.

Higher Education Digest is a Free Subscription digital magazine strictly not for sale and has to be strictly for internal private use only. Publisher does not assume any responsibility arising out of anyone printing copy of this digital magazine in any format and in any country and all matters related to that.

Women’s Education in India has a fascinating history. A name that stands tall among its leaders is Savitribai Phule, India’s first woman teacher who opened the first school for girls in Bhide Wada in Pune. Married at the tender age of 9, she was a courageous woman who fought a strongly patriarchal society for women’s rights when women were not considered equal. Following her footsteps, the country has produced many exceptional women leaders. However, even after decades of struggle for equality, women’s leadership in the Indian higher education sector remains a burning topic of discussion.

Interestingly, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), despite being considered a leader in political and social discourse, took almost five decades to appoint its first women vice-chancellor. While the prestigious IITs and IISERs have never had a woman director, AIIMS’ had only one female director, that too, more than 30 years ago. It is the story of most Indian universities. Out of 54 central universities, only 7 have female vice-chancellors.

The Faces of Indian Higher Education

Only 52 of the 437 state universities, 10 of the 125 deemed universities, and 23 of the 388 private universities have female vice-chancellors.

Say you live in a progressive society, but you cannot deny that women face a glass ceiling when they try to push forward. However, some people in our country have fought the war Savitribai Phule had fought to become the beacon of hope for the women aspiring for leadership roles. We celebrate their success by telling some of the untold stories our panel of experts selected as the “10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders in Indian Higher Education.” This edition aims to bring to light the thoughts, insights, and journeys of women in the sector. We feature Aishwarya Nitish, Pro Chairman, Narasu’s Sarathy Institute of Technology (NSIT), on the cover. She is a computer engineer by education, and her experience in administration and management of her family business holdings has made her a critical fact-finder who can identify areas of development with expertise and drive towards success. Enjoy Reading.

Shyam

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi)

Chief Human Resources Officer, Former Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB.

Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE.

Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Mr. Dean E. Hoke, M.S, B.A

Co-Founder of Edu Alliance, LTD, UAE and Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group, USA

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA

Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto, PhD, Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer.

Former CEO ( ASEAN), Arc Skills

Mamta Thakur

Shanthi Rajan (MSHRM, FHEA, AMCILT)

Director, Institution Development, University of Stirling, RAK Campus, UAE.

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc.

Former Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com

CEO at BMR Innovations, Ex Senior General Manager at Panasonic, LG, The Hindu, TATA, Author: Moment of Signal & The Roaring Lambs, Motivational Speaker & Leadership Consultant.

Dr. Khyati Shetty

Ph.D (Marketing)., SFHEA (UK), MBA (Marketing), PGHRM, BA (Marketing & Economics)

Dr. Hans A. Andrews Ed.D.

Distinguished Fellow in Community College Leadership, Olney Central College, Illinois,USA

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Senior Director - Global Partnerships, Advisory & Consulting - Connecta® ,

Head of Advisory BoardHigher Education Digest® & K12 Digest® , Adjunct Faculty - Assumption University, Former CIO - Athena Education, Former Global Director TechnologyGEMS Education

WOMEN LE ADER S IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

DR. SUDHA MALAIYA

Founder & Chancellor, Eklavya University

DR. SHAILAJA SHASTRI

Dean of Faculty of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Jagran Lakecity University

DR. URVASHI MAKKAR

Director & Professor, Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad

SUSMITA SARKAR

Chairperson,

Dream Institute of Technology

IF A COLLEGE DOESN’T REQUIRE GMAT, IS IT NOT GOOD?

Shivangi Gupta, Founder, Intelligent Education

MENTOR’S MANTRA

ACADEMIC VIEW

FUTURE SCOPE FOR STUDENTS OPTING CAREER IN CODING

Alka Kapur, Principal, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh

NURTURING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) ENVIRONMENT TO PROMOTE EARLY LEARNING

Shubhra Johri Sinha, Head of School, Ekya Byrathi

CAREER COUNSELLING TIPS FOR STUDENTS

Archana Eruvenkai, Counselling Psychologist, Beautiful Minds

ACADEMIC

OVERHAULING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA:

CRITICAL CHANGES THAT

TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW

Devyani Jaipuria, Pro Vice Chairperson, Delhi Public School

VACATION TIME IS MUCH MORE THAN HOBBY CLASSES

Smriti Parikh, Head of Literacy, The Acres Foundation

DATA AND ARTS - A RISING MARKET OF INFOGRAPHICS FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS

Dr. Shruti Nigudkar, Head of School and Associate Professor, School of Visual Arts, Faculty of Design at MIT World Peace University (Formerly MIT Pune)

WAYS TO DEAL WITH COMPETITIVE EXAM PRESSURE: TIPS TO SUCCESS

Soumya Taneja, Head-Junior School, Summer Fields School

TO SHIMLA RAILWAY, INDIA

Nurturing Early Childhood Education (ECE) Environment to Promote Early Learning

Shubhra Johri Sinha, Head of School, Ekya Byrathi

Early childhood education (ECE) environments enormously impact youngsters’ growth opportunities as well as their wellbeing and advancement. As per The World Bank Group, the world is facing a learning crisis: an estimated 53 percent of 10-year-old children living in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a short text. The right learning environment

permits kids to collaborate with their educators, companions and environments in a way that helps them to learn and better understand the world. ECE spaces that advance early learning permit kids to circle, investigate and control their environmental elements. Beyond physical infrastructure, other aspects of program structure, such as duration and intensity, ratio and group sizes, influence ECE quality and impact young children’s learning.

Beyond physical infrastructure, other aspects of program structure, such as duration and intensity, ratio and group sizes, influence ECE quality and impact young children’s learning

Shubhra Sinha has over 19 years of work-experience across education as well as the corporate world. This includes educational management at top K-12 international schools; both in new as well as established setups. She is passionate about strengthening professionalism and the competence of the faculty in order to provide world-class teachinglearning experiences. She is also a skilled facilitator of Cambridge International trainings that support teachers to become more confident, innovative and reflective.

Five Key Principles for Quality Learning Environments

Overall safety: Children and teacher’s safety must come first – without which there can be no learning. Safe physical learning environments not only protect children, teachers and communities, but they can help create a sense of care and safety-awareness. Water, sanitation and hygiene practices (such as appropriate handwashing and waste disposal) are vital components of safety to ensure children’s health. Low air quality and high noise levels have a direct negative impact on learning and spaces with no ventilation which further impact children’s learning.

Pedagogical organization: Investing in Quality Early Childhood Education is Key to Tackling Learning Poverty. Early Childhood Education environments should motivate teaching and learning. Pedagogical organization, while using low-cost, basic infrastructure, defines the way spaces can promote exploration, interaction and collaboration. Collaborative experiences like group discussions, extempore, group games, etc that emerge within the learning centres are consistently associated with positive learning.

Spatial flexibility: Flexibility means being able to use space in many ways for diverse and stimulating activities. Flexible spaces can encourage more effective teaching, teamwork and planning among educators, and also develop more self-reliance among children to show initiative and collaboration. Spatial flexibility requires specific planning around activities, behaviour, transitions and sound control. Teachers are more likely to adapt and rearrange rooms differently if they have been encouraged by training and policies to plan

for spatial flexibility, take risks and experiment with versatile use of spaces to develop new pedagogical strategies.

Empowerment: Empowering environments are not finished spaces. Giving children, teachers and families opportunities to organize and personalize space, furniture and materials to support their learning projects, allows them to find their voice and shared meaning as well as a sense of belonging and ownership.

Child-centered design: Early Children Education learning environments should be child-centered in design, reflecting children’s developmental characteristics, social and cultural practices and interests. Learning environments require appropriate child scaling, so they are easy and comfortable to navigate. In other words, they should be catchable, climbable and conquerable. This includes placing objects at eye level and in easy reach or finding appropriately sized chairs and tables. Adult-child ratios and class sizes should allow personalized and playful interactions to promote early learning. When groups are smaller, and staff-child ratios are low, high-quality pedagogical practices may significantly impact children by providing more frequent interactions and sustained shared thinking.

In conclusion, development of access to Early Childhood Education must be balanced with efforts to ensure improve quality. Systems that deliver quality early learning at scale are built intentionally and progressively over time through careful planning and multiple investments, including in the home environment and in other factors that influence early learning outside of school, especially for young kids.

NITISH

Success is the outcome of inspiration, aspiration, preparation, dedication, and perspiration,” quotes Mrs Aishwarya Nitish, Pro Chairman, Narasu’s Sarathy Institute of Technology (NSIT). She is a computer engineer by education, and her experience in administration and management of her family business holdings has made her a critical factfinder who can identify areas of development with expertise and drive towards success.

Family Background & Support Systems

Giving a sneak peek into her background & personal role models, Aishwarya reveals, “I had a simple learning environment coupled with some great mentors right at home. My father, Mr KSN Murthy, Managing Director, P&G, Andhra Pradesh, is my pillar of strength. My grandfather, Dr Konijeti Rosaiah, former Governor of Tamil

At NSIT, Aishwarya is the Pro Chairman and leads the placement & training department, industry-institute interaction cell, innovation cell, and mentorship cell

Nadu & former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, was my continuous source of inspiration and motivation.” She also credits her husband, Mr. B. Nitish Harihar, Chairman, NSIT, Late Thiru. “Narasu’s” R.P. Sarathy Ayya, Founder NSIT and family members for supporting and motivating her. She is backed by a supportive team at NSIT who work dedicatedly with her on all their projects.

Likewise, Aishwarya thanks Dr Ramadevi (School Principal, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Public School), Mr Sai Prasad (College Administrative Officer), and Dr T. Adilakshmi (HOD, Vasavi College of Engineering, Hyderabad) for believing in her capabilities and supporting throughout her academic journey.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS:

● Recognized by Dr. A P J Abdul kalam for imparting quality education.

● Recognized as one amongst the top 20 pragmatic Women Leaders in the Education Industry - 2021 by the Academic Insights.

● Awarded for best innovative approach towards placement training and outstanding industry connect, by Begin up Research Intelligence National Level Educational Excellence Awards-2021

● Awarded as the best emerging Engineering College of the year 2021, by Begin up Research Intelligence National Level Educational Excellence Awards.

● Recognized for her exemplary contributions to the society during the pandemic by the District Collector Thiru. S Karmegam IAS, at the Independence Day celebrations’2021.

● Best engineering college for best placements and industry connect, by News 18 at the Kattral awards-2022

Carrying the Torch of NSIT’s Mission

Late Sri “Narasu’s” R.P. Sarathy was a visionary entrepreneur and leader. It was he who laid the foundation of NSIT under the Smt. Maha Lakshmi Ammal Education Trust with a mission to provide quality technical education to deserving students and create employable engineers who are technically competent and ethically strong. He believed there is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. Today, Aishwarya, his granddaughter, is carrying the

torch of NSIT’s mission ahead with her hard work and dedication.

At NSIT, Aishwarya is the Pro Chairman and leads the Placement & Training Department, Industry-Institute Interaction Cell, Innovation Cell, and Mentorship Cell. Known for her friendly nature, students approach her for their academic needs and other development activities without hesitation. In turn, she encourages students to be committed to their studies and tap every opportunity given to them in college to create a change in society and for their own

betterment. She has also supported the growth of sports activities at Zonal, District, and State level competitions and played an active role in getting NAAC accreditation for NSIT.

Currently, Aishwarya is working to introduce new courses at college and explore options to start a school. She is looking forward to encouraging

and strengthening research & consultancy and producing technically competent and ethically strong graduates at NSIT.

Mentoring students towards Growth Opportunities

“One thing I believe in is giving students an array of all the possible opportunities, and providing them with as much information as possible in terms of new technologies in their core,” reveals Aishwarya. For which, she structured a system for mentoring students to guide them in the proper direction through one-on-one interaction which will amplify their confidence, enable them

Former ISRO Chairman Dr. A.S Kiran Kumar with the management during his visit to the college.

to work on areas of improvement, solidify their skillsets, and focus on future goals.

Therefore, Aishwarya formed a wellqualified team of faculty members and assigned one mentor per 10 students. “Today, I see an evident growth in students, and it gives me immense pleasure and joy,” proudly mentions Aishwarya. Another initiative taken by her was to design and focus on student-goal-specific activities, from industry visits to guest lectures and internships.

A Call for More Female Leaders in Education

Aishwarya remarks, “I feel there is always scope and need for women in leadership roles.” Gone are the days when leadership was just about command and control. Today, influential leaders live by strong values that guide their decisions and behaviours irrespective of their genders. They are honest in their interactions with others,

think out of the box, and develop innovative solutions to reach set goals.

Moreover, Aishwarya opines that, women in leadership value team-building and have inherent problem-solving and decisionmaking skills. Therefore, like any other industry, education needs more female leaders to support their peers in career growth, encourage more gender-sensitive policy formulation, and set examples for aspiring female educators.

Need for Reforms in the Current Education System

Aishwarya points toward the need for efficient training programs for teachers and educators to bring changes to the current educational system. As the torchbearers of education, teachers must be given the necessary tools, resources, and advanced coaching to deliver quality education to students.

Aishwarya also views personalized learning as an excellent platform for higher student engagement. When students are involved in activities that interest them, they become equal partners in their learning experiences.

NSIT’s Initiatives during Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for educational institutions worldwide to search for innovative solutions in a relatively short period. Aishwarya shares, “Right from March 2020, we at NSIT started using standard asynchronous online learning tools (such as reading material via Google Classroom) augmented with synchronous face-to-face video instruction to help pre-empt college closures.” Furthermore, the management ensured that each student get access to learning

material through live/ recorded lecture videos. They also worked effectively towards connecting with mentors worldwide to understand their perspectives and initiatives on dealing with the pandemic crisis.

Likewise, NSIT offered a large amount of study material and specialized academic & placement training to their students free of cost, which helped them adapt to e-learning. As a result, all the students secured good scores and got admissions in prestigious Institutions in India and overseas for higher studies. The majority of students were recruited by leading companies from the IT and Core sectors, including Microsoft, Deloitte, Infosys, Cognizant, TCS, Wipro, Mahindra, Capgemini, Intellipaat and many more industries.

If A College Doesn’t Require GMAT, Is It Not Good?

Shivangi Gupta, Founder, Intelligent Education

Shivangi Gupta is the founder of Intelligent Education, a Delhibased education consultancy firm that capacitates students from variegated arenas to reach their primary choice of college abroad.

Shivangi is a mentor and a counsellor who unremittingly works to enable students to transcend the barriers keeping them apart from obtaining premier overseaseducation.Throughherwork,shestrivestowardshelpingIndiarealizethetrue potential of its human capital.

While GMAT has maintained its position as the convention for admissions to several postgraduate courses around the domain of management, things seem to be gradually deviating from the norm. If your primary choice college does not require GMAT and that has put you under stress surrounding whether or not the college is good enough, you have landed at just the right place and you are going to have your concerns addressed super soon.

GMAT was popularly used and was probably mandated because of the standardisation that it lent to the procedure of admissions and assessing qualifications. Now that we have a range of other factors to evaluate a student’s worthiness for admittance to a course, we don’t necessarily require a standardised qualification to do that for us. Having a mandatory GMAT rule has nothing to do with the reputation or the acceptability of a college. It is merely an evaluation procedure. Since GMAT no longer serves as a prerequisite for admittance to certain courses, schools today

Having a mandatory GMAT rule has nothing to do with the reputation or the acceptability of a college

like to focus on a candidate’s holistic application, laying emphasis on factors including-

● A strong academic record

● Work experience and the acquired skills

● Participation in extracurricular and volunteer activities

● International exposure

Some of the many premier institutions that do not have a mandatory GMAT requirement are:-

● Imperial College London

● Babson College

● Massachusetts Institute of Technology

● Kings College London

● Michigan State University

● ANU (Australian National University)

● NUS-National University of Singapore

● Ivey Business School

● IE Business School

● Rotman School of Management

As we can see that some of the best business schools feature in the list, that is enough evidence to prove that GMAT is certainly not the reflector of the quality of education disseminated by the institution. So, if your college of choice does not have a GMAT requirement, that does not, in any shape or form, hold an impact on its worth. You can apply for admittance to the institution with an open mind and a positive attitude, good luck!

If your college of choice does not have a GMAT requirement, that does not, in any shape or form, hold an impact on its worth

WOMEN LE ADER S IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Aishwarya Nitish Dr. Jayashri A. Bangali Pro Chairman Narasu’s Sarathy Institute of Technology

Head - Electronics Department

Kaveri College of Arts, Science and Commerce

Website: https://www.nsit.edu.in/

Location: Salem, Tamil Nadu

About the Institute:

Founded in 2008 by Smt. Mahalakshmi educational trust, Narasus Sarathy Institute of Technology represents a rich tradition of excellence in technology-based education.

Website: https://kavericollege.org/

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

About the Institute:

Kaveri College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Permanently Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, was established in the year 2005 with a three-year undergraduate B.Com. degree course by the Kannada Sangha, Pune.

Dr. Minu Madlani

Principal K. P. B Hinduja College

Website: https://hindujacollege.in/

Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra

About the Institute:

K.P.B. Hinduja College of Commerce was founded in 1974 by the visionary industrialist Late Shri Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja and is recognised as one of the premier academic institutions in Mumbai and has ISO 9001 Certification.

Prof. Parimal V Mandke

Vice President

NIIT University

Website: https://niituniversity.in/

Location: Neemrana, Rajasthan

About the Institute:

A premier institution of higher learning and research, the University of the future, NIIT University, seeks to create original thinkers who can lead the knowledge society of tomorrow. The University inherits four decades of rich expertise and global know-how of the NIIT Group.

Parmita Debnath

Global Head – Student Experience and Professional Development, EMBA S P Jain School of Global Management

Website: https://www.spjain.org/

Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra

About the Institute:

With campuses in the dynamic business hubs of Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney, SP Jain is renowned for offering multi-city undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Dr. Priti Pandey

Associate Director Programmes School of Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure RICS School of Built Environment, Amity University

Website: https://www.ricssbe.org/schools/schoolof-real-estate-and-infrastructure/

Location: Noida, Uttar Pradesh

About the Institute:

The School of Real Estate and Infrastructure is focused on delivering premier education, training and research in the fields associated with land and real estate.

Shailaja Shastri

Dean

Dr. Sudha Malaiya

Founder & Chancellor

Website: https://jlu.edu.in/

Location: Chandanpura, Madhya Pradesh

About the Institute:

JLU Bhopal is one of the fastest growing and one of the most awarded universities of Central India having practice-based pedagogy at its core. Currently, the university is offering 50+ degree programs to more than 2500 students from 8 countries and 27 states of India.

Susmita Sarkar

Jagran Lakecity University Chairperson

Dream Institute of Technology

Website: https://www.dreaminstituteonline.com/

Location: Kolkata, West Bengal

About the Institute:

Dream Institute of Technology, one of the leading engineering colleges in Kolkata offers courses affiliated to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT) and approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Website: https://eklavyauniversity.ac.in/

Location: Padriya, Madhya Pradesh

About the Institute:

Eklavya University is a career-driven Private University focused on innovation, interdisciplinary skill-based learning, quality placements, and exemplary faculty. The University is promoted by Ojaswini Samdarshi Nyas, a registered Public Trust established in the year 2000.

Dr. Urvashi Makkar

Eklavya University Director & Professor Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad

Website: https://www.ims-ghaziabad.ac.in/

Location: Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

About the Institute:

IMS Ghaziabad, one of the trusted Business Schools in India with 33 years of academic legacy offers PGDM programme which is approved by AICTE and accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and equivalent to MBA by Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Lead your institution through the new normal and beyond

Today’s learners and faculty have high expectations, requiring an integrated and exible learning experience that operates seamlessly and intuitively. By partnering with Blackboard, you can enhance your institution’s brand by providing students and faculty with a holistic and integrated modern learning ecosystem.

Blackboard brings together the technologies and services you need to lead your institution through this digital transformation.

WOMEN LE ADER S IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Dr. Shailaja Shastri

Dean of Faculty of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Jagran Lakecity University

On a Mission to Raise Mental Health Awareness at the Grassroot Levels

This is an inspiring journey of Dr. Shailaja Shastri, a meritorious student who went after her passion for pursuing psychology and bringing about mental health awareness in society. Dr. Shailaja has a doctorate degree in psychology, specialising in adolescence, parenting and career counselling. She is also a certified Cambridge University facilitator and Dale Carnegie trainer and has conducted over 800 workshops for leading corporate organisations, college faculty, school teachers, parents, and young learners.

Therefore, Dr. Shailaja’s career trajectory over the last three decades reflects patience, perseverance, and persistence. She has excelled in all her roles as a leader, teacher, researcher, and counsellor. Since 2021, Shailaja has served as the Dean of the

My role as a Dean is to oversee the Liberal Arts and Humanities programmes, which includes designing & implementing research programmes and postgraduate and undergraduate courses in the domains of Liberal Studies, Psychology, Public Policy and English literature

Dr. Shailaja Shastri Dean of Faculty of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Jagran Lakecity University

A Career Calling in Psychology

At school, Dr. Shailaja was a brilliant student. Later, instead of opting for conventional courses for higher education, she chose to pursue psychology as she was fascinated by the complex relationships between human behaviour and the world we live in. Here also, Dr. Shailaja continued to top in her graduate and postgraduate exams. It was followed by an M.Phil and a PhD in psychology. While working on her research thesis, Dr. Shailaja started teaching and later

moved to full-time teaching after receiving her doctorate degree.

At the beginning of her career, Dr. Shailaja served as a faculty and Dean of Psychology at the International Academy for Creative Teaching. Later she became a professor and the Head of the Department of Psychology at Jain University, Bangalore. “Even as I taught and guided research at the university, I was involved in administering school education and conducting training workshops for industry and educational institutions,” reveals Dr. Shailaja. “My consultancy activities further enriched my teaching and research experience,

Faculty of Liberal Arts and Humanities at Jagran Lakecity University.

and I was privileged to be part of the Harvard University `Future of Learning` programme,” she further continued. From 2016 to 2020, she also established a training and research initiative with women colleagues to provide mental health support to all stakeholders in the education sector.

Positive Influences in Personal & Professional Life

While speaking about the major influences in her life, Dr. Shailaja reveals, “One of the earliest influences in my life was my grandfather, a self-taught man who left a lasting impression on me on the importance of transforming daily life experiences into learning moments.” Her father taught her the value of commitment and perseverance, while her mother instilled empathy for others in her. Likewise, Dr. Shailaja’s teachers, college professors, and PhD supervisor positively impacted her academic journey.

“My husband, Sandeep Shastri, greatly influenced my attitude towards work through the professionalism he demonstrated” remarks Dr. Shailaja. “My son, Sanjal, who as he grew older, became a friend and taught me the joys of parenting and what I learnt with him often became a part of my classroom dialogue.”

On the professional front, Dr. Chenraj Jain, the Chancellor of Jain University, advised Dr. Shailaja on how to separate people from the issue during a negotiation. The Chancellor of Jagran Lakecity University, Shri Hari Mohan Gupta’s leadership inspired and motivated Dr. Shailaja to innovate and accept newer challenges fearlessly, and Mr. Abhishek Mohan Gupta, the Pro-Chancellor at Jagran Lakecity University, demonstrated on how to guide people through behind the scene

Dr. Shailaja leverages the core leadership values that the University and its founders seek to promote: taking ownership, promoting excellence, and building & working as a team

efforts and consistent commitment. “Above all, my greatest motivators have been my students and colleagues for their experiences, insights they provided, and confidence they demonstrated,” adds Dr. Shailaja.

Take on Women in Leadership Roles

Being a leader herself, Dr. Shailaja agrees that women in leadership roles are indeed a minority in India and on a global level. If one closely examines the education sector, girl students tend to outnumber their counterparts, and similarly, women educators are numerically more than men across many disciplines. “However, given the many breaks that women have as part of their career, they are often not able to rise to higher positions in the hierarchy,” mentions Dr.

Shailaja. As a result, there are proportionately fewer women in leadership positions.

However, Dr. Shailaja suggests that if institutions brought in a `dial-down` (when family responsibilities require them to) and `dial-up` (when they are ready to return to their full contribution) opportunity for women, they would be able to take on & fulfil leadership responsibilities at the fullest. Similarly, Jagran Lakecity University has also made a conscious effort to recognise and place women in leadership positions within the University.

A Vision-led, Premier University of Central India

Jagran Lakecity University was established by the Jagran Social Welfare Society as a

Dr. Shailaja suggests that if institutions brought in a `dialdown` (when family responsibilities require them to) and `dial-up` (when they are ready to return to their full contribution) opportunity for women, they would be able to take on & fulfil leadership responsibilities at the fullest

Private State University in Madhya Pradesh in 2013. The founders’ vision was to create a platform for learning that was globally relevant, reflected national goals, and had a strong local flavour. The name of the University itself indicates this aspiration. Furthermore, Jagran Lakecity University had sought to make the learning process fun, inter-disciplinary and activity-oriented.

“As a psychologist, I can well appreciate the goal of the promoters to make the institution a `psychologically safe space`,” proudly adds the Dean of Faculty of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Shailaja.

Nurturing Innovation & Creativity in Students

Since its inception, Jagran Lakecity University has promoted the core values of innovation and creativity. These values truly resonate in the way students and alumni contribute to creating the curriculum and syllabus. Likewise, industry and societal experts are also involved in designing courses.

According to Dean Dr. Shailaja, an example of this innovation and creativity is the inclusion of a `practicum` component in Jagran Lakecity University’s core courses in Liberal Studies, Psychology, Public Policy, and English Literature. The `practicum` component allows for flexibility and permits the learner to relate the theme being discussed with the real world. Additionally, various opportunities are presented to students in the form of internships and participation in the University’s consultancy projects, thereby giving the courses a strong practical flavour.

A Dedicated & Visionary Leader

As the Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Dr. Shailaja is also an active member of the Strategy Team of the University. This is the group involved in defining key strategies for the University and preparing the roadmap for its implementation.

From the beginning, Dr. Shailaja has always considered herself a participant in the exciting process of learning and transformation instead of being just a woman leader

“My role as a Dean is to oversee the Liberal Arts and Humanities programmes, which includes designing & implementing research programmes and postgraduate and undergraduate courses in the domains of Liberal Studies, Psychology, Public Policy and English literature,” shares Dr. Shailaja.

Apart from this, Dr. Shailaja also leverages the core leadership values that the University and its founders seek to promote: taking ownership, promoting excellence, and building & working as a team. Owing to her work ethic and leadership skills, Dr. Shailaja’s team respect and admire her.

A Day in the Life of a Dean Dr. Shailaja’s day begins at the crack of dawn, followed by an hour of prioritising tasks and/or preparing for a class or training workshop. She also takes out time to exercise daily. “At work, most of my day is spent in the classroom with my students, at meetings with my University colleagues, discussions with my doctoral students, brainstorming with my colleagues, delivering lectures at conferences, addressing participants at workshops, conducting a training workshop or taking forward a consultancy assignment,” adds Dr. Shailaja.

With an experience as vast as Dr. Shailaja, it is easy to say that she has mastered the art of handling pressure with poise and calmness. She feels that half the solution to the challenges lies in the approach one adopts, so she doesn’t get adversely affected by the work pressure.

Keeping Up with the Trends in Education

In her leisure time, Dr. Shailaja reads books and uses social media platforms and other tech tools to stay updated on the latest trends and developments in the education industry.

“At my training and consultancy workshops, I have an opportunity to receive inputs from participants who are from diverse backgrounds, bringing their rich experiences to the discussions,” mentions Dr. Shailaja. She also enjoys interacting with her students and participating in a dialogue with her colleagues and industry peers.

Advice for the Emerging Women Leaders

From the beginning, Dr. Shailaja has always considered herself a participant in the exciting process of learning and transformation instead of being just a women leader. Likewise, she has always taken challenges head-on and tried to understand the fundamental problems behind the issues. She further says that if one is passionate about something, they will never get tired, bored, or lose interest.

Therefore, Dr. Shailaja recommends to the young brigade of women leaders to identify and play to their key strengths. They must ensure to give their best performance despite adversities. She also suggests women to look after their health and mental well-being while fulfilling responsibilities towards their family as well as career.

Planning Ahead

To date, more than 10 research scholars have successfully completed their PhD degrees under Dr Shailaja’s guidance, and she aims to continue to mentor more students in the future. Currently, along with her team, Dr. Shailaja is diversifying the Jagran Centre for SelfDiscovery (JCSD) activities and initiating new innovative programmes and activities.

“This year, we are truly excited about rolling out our Liberal Studies programme at the Undergraduate level,” happily concludes Dr. Shailaja.

Future Scope for Students Opting Career in Coding

Alka Kapur, Principal, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh

Alka Kapur, (CBSE & State Awardee) Principal, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi is an empowering leader, a zealous educationist with rich academic and administrative experience offering an illustrious career of 32 years in educational research. As the Principal of the school, she has taken the school to great heights through open attitude for learning and love for children. Twenty years of her sedulous selfless service as the Principal of the school has accorded the school a priceless status in Forbes India Marquee Edition, The Great Indian Schools.

With major services and products being digitized, coding has become a basic skill and has been in demand in the job market

The fast-paced digitalization across the globe has driven the growth and popularity of technology and innovations. In such an era, computers and related sciences have gained major significance as almost all business operations are going on online. This transformation has prompted the rising relevance of coding, making it an important part of the digital revolution. Coding being the language of any computers, dictating what the devices can do, has become a lucrative career choice which is certain to fetch more popularity in the future.

Coding

Coding primarily refers to computer programming through which individuals can create computer programs, software, applications, and websites. Some of the common day-to-day application of coding includes the operating system of a computer, the browser, applications on mobile phones, websites, etc. Coding can be considered the backbone of global online connectivity, which has made operations simple and easy.

With major services and products being digitized, coding has become a basic skill and has been in demand in the job market. The fast-paced digitalization further makes it clear

that the jobs requiring coding skills will grow exponentially in the future. However, students sometimes get in a dilemma as to what coding languages are at the utmost priority in present times, and what career options are available in the domain. Though coding has been a growing trend and several students are seeking a career in it, most of them might be unaware of the existing and lucrative career options in the field.

Benefits of embracing coding

Highlighting the profile

Whilst coding might not be the basic requisite to get qualified for all jobs, a basic understanding of it can always be helpful to stay ahead in the competition. An understanding of coding is an important skill in any profession and depicts that the candidate is diligent, energetic, and innovative.

Job opportunities

With business operations gradually getting entirely inclined towards digitalization, employers are much more likely to hire employees with technical expertise; and coding is an important technical skill that can help an individual fetch a job. While it might not be required in every field but keeping a code as a string in your bow can be a key to finding field-related functions like content creation, marketing, PR and more.

Freelancing and entrepreneurial options

Coding can be a prime skill to open options for an individual to work independently, or even start his/her own business in domains like web designing or creating software or apps. Coding being a valued skill across the industries, many companies also outsource

the coding-related works to freelancers or self-employed personnel.

Let’s explore some of the interesting career options in coding:

Application developer

Application development can be one of the most fruitful and blooming career options for an aspirant and the domain is growing steadily and is expected to reach its pinnacle by the end of the decade. The primary responsibility of an application developer is to develop or enhance software applications for mobile devices like cell phones, tablets, etc.

Coding analyst

Coding analysts outstand others because they not only possess coding skills but also a strong knowledge of business analysis. They bring in a merger between the initiatives of a business and information technology.

Quality assurance engineer

Quality assurance for software is a key area most companies focus on and the requirements for engineers, who can check defects in the software, design tests and chalk out a solution, is on the pick in the present days. The role also includes reviewing and commenting on the designs of the software and its overall functionality.

Website developer

Website development is one of the most prospective fields in the coding domain and is expected to grow around 12.5 per cent in the decade. Web development encircles the entire functionality of a website, from design and look to its user-friendly interface.

WOMEN LE ADER S IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Dr. Sudha Malaiya

Founder & Chancellor, Eklavya University

Illuminating Students’ Path with the Torch of Quality Education

“I

believe my biggest strength is the ability to work hard. When people observe my work ethic, it inspires them to work hard and achieve every day,” says Dr. Sudha Malaiya, the Founder & Chancellor of Eklavya University. Along with her hard-working nature, she brings an intellectually diverse background and an extensive professional experience to the table. Her team at Eklavya University and the people around her respect and admire her leadership style. Dr. Sudha, therefore is an epitome of an inspirational leader in Indian Higher Education.

While discussing her personal role models, Dr. Sudha shares that Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya (Co-Founder of Banaras Hindu University) and Dr. Hari Singh Gaur (Founder of Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University, Sagar) have greatly influenced her journey of becoming an educationalist.

Dr. Sudha Malaiya Founder & Chancellor, Eklavya University

I started the educational institutions to contribute to the social, educational, and economic fabric of Damoh and Bundelkhand and am proud to say that today the youth of Damoh do not have to travel away from their homes and spend way beyond their means to get a quality education which will equip them for a bright future and success

A Deep-Rooted Yearning to Learn New Things

Dr. Sudha was born and brought in Meerut, UP. Since childhood, she had an insatiable desire to learn everything. Whether it was structured education in school and college or extracurricular activities, she actively took part and excelled in all of them. Later on, she pursued science as she aspired to become a doctor. However, her conservative family background and resistance from her father switched her career paths from science to liberal arts. As a result, she decided to study history for her master’s degree.

All throughout her college years, Dr. Sudha also learnt the art of dance and music without informing her family. Looking back, she humbly admits that it wasn’t one of her proud moments. Her love for performing arts continued and made

her participate in every event of the college. Dr. Sudha took home the ‘Best All-Round Student’ trophy at the end of her college tenure.

The Journey towards Establishing Eklavya University

After her marriage, Dr. Sudha moved to Damoh, M.P. She had already identified that teaching was her passion and calling in life, and so she began teaching honorarily at the local Saraswati Sishu Mandir and Kamala Nehru Girls Degree College, Damoh, in the initial days. But what struck her about the Bundelkhand region was the lack of quality higher education for students. Later, through some divine intervention, as she calls it, Dr. Sudha started a Science and Commerce College and introduced new subjects like Computer Science for the first time in the city

of Damoh. This was followed by various schools and colleges dedicated to engineering, nursing, and education, and the journey culminated in the establishment of Eklavya University in 2020.

“I started the educational institutions to contribute to the social, educational, and economic fabric of Damoh and Bundelkhand and am proud to say that today the youth of Damoh do not have to travel away from their homes and spend way beyond their means to get a quality education which will equip them for a bright future and success,” shares Dr. Sudha.

Bringing Multi-disciplinary Academic Background to the Role of Dean

According to Dr. Sudha, her multi-disciplinary education in sciences & liberal arts and her time devoted to preparing for IAS examinations give her a rare edge and help in fulfilling the role of the Dean of Eklavya University. “My years of experience in varied fields like research, dance,

According to Dr. Sudha, her multidisciplinary education in sciences & liberal arts and her time devoted to preparing for IAS examinations give her a rare edge and help in fulfilling the role of the Dean of Eklavya University

journalism, archaeology, history, politics, social work and entrepreneurship has given me a unique perspective on education and the tenets of what makes a world-class university,” shares Dr. Sudha.

In the light of this, Dr. Sudha firmly believes that multi-disciplinary learning, practical knowledge and adaptation of concepts, deeply rooted Indian values, and commitment to humanity are the pillars of a world-class university. Therefore, as the Dean, she hopes to impart these tangible and intangible characteristics to each student who graduates from Eklavya University.

A Day in the Life of a Leader

Dr. Sudha begins her day by waking up at Brahma Mahurat (the Creator’s Hour, before sunrise), practising meditation, exercising, and sometimes even singing and dancing. At work, her day is spent in coordinating and managing the activities of her various entrepreneurial initiatives. Irrespective of her busy schedule, she also ensures to take some time out to pursue

her scholarly interests and devote time in drafting a series of books on dance and arts.

“At the end of the day, my biggest stressbusters are my 4 grandchildren. Talking to them and playing with them brings me the greatest happiness,” smilingly says grandmother Dr. Sudha. She further attributes her calm and composed mindfulness to her gurus and their guidance that enables her to handle stress and pressure successfully.

Beating the Pandemic Odds Sharing her experience as a Chancellor of Eklavya University during the pandemic and

Currently, Dr. Sudha is deeply immersed in writing, designing, and publishing a series of books comprising 11 volumes on dance and art

how she and her team coped with it, Dr. Sudha says, “I remember when the first lockdown was announced, our entire teaching body and myself felt like a fish out of water. We all were struggling to understand what the lockdown would mean for all our stakeholders and its impact on teaching, learning and assessment.”

Moreover, the transition from classroom teaching to online mode was not a cakewalk. The team of Eklavya University had to deal with numerous challenges such as slow internet speed, bandwidth challenges in rural India, cost of data, device scarcity in households, and overnight

training of teachers to learn online tools. “But it was encouraging to see how quickly and seamlessly our teachers and students were able to ride up the curve and ensure minimal learning deficit,” adds Dr. Sudha with pride.

At Eklavya University, with joint efforts, online training sessions were conducted for teachers, and digital content was developed in the form of notes, PowerPoint presentations, videos, and Google forms. Moreover, Dr. Sudha and her senior management team brainstormed over Zoom & Google Teams to develop various strategies to support students and help them continue

their learning journey during uncertainty. Most importantly, at regular intervals, the University also held online mental health interventions to safeguard the spirits of its people.

Need for Reforms in the Current Educational System

As a teacher and scholar, Dr. Sudha is pained by the portrayal of Indian History in the current curriculums taught in schools and colleges. “Through my YouTube channel, SudhaRanjani, I am attempting to educate fellow Bharatiyas’ on these glaring historical errors,” asserts Dr. Sudha, a passionate history enthusiast.

Another pain point that disturbs Dr. Sudha is implementing English-medium education in all disciples of learning. Only recently, a slight shift has been observed in favour of vernacular languages where colleges have been given the option to teach and assess them. This initiative has been made possible due to our Honourable Prime Minister’s vision and deeply-rooted Indian values. She states that if fellow Indians wish to preserve their values

and diverse cultures, then this initiative needs their complete support and encouragement. Dr. Sudha also holds the western education philosophy responsible for eradicating the Gurukul System of education in India and therefore encourages everyone to bring it back in the Indian schools and colleges. Taking a step ahead in this initiative, Eklavaya University uses “Jai Bharat” as its form of greeting instead of Good Morning or Good Evening. Additionally, the university has introduced subjects like Yoga & Naturopathy

and Performing arts to inculcate an interest in and understanding of Indian values and culture for its students.

“I have been a proponent of hands-on practical learning forever. At all educational institutions run by our group, we have given precedence to practical and lab-based learning,” states Dr. Sudha, the Chancellor of Eklavya University. The NEP 2020 has also finally taken a long-awaited first step toward a holistic approach to learning that will bridge the gap between rote techniques and day-to-

day hands-on experiences and open new doors for students.

Pearls of Wisdom

From the beginning, Dr. Sudha never regarded gender inequality as a roadblock that limited her vision or goals. “In my opinion, excuses are only for the mediocre. Hard work and perseverance can help us reach the top,” mentions Dr. Sudha. Therefore, one crucial advice Dr. Sudha wishes to share with every individual aiming for higher goals in life—is to make spirituality a part of their daily lives and find their Guru. “I believe that the guidance and power that one gets from their Guru is the elixir for achieving success and greatness,” further adds Dr. Sudha.

Personal & Professional Goals for the Future

Currently, Dr. Sudha is deeply immersed in writing, designing, and publishing a series of books comprising 11 volumes on dance and art. She regards these books as the fruit of her intellectual labour of over 3 decades based on her PhD thesis written in 1984.

In the coming years, as the Chancellor of Eklavaya University, Dr. Sudha will continue to provide her students with the best infrastructure, faculty, training, and placement opportunities similar to those available to students in bigger cities. “We have lined up exciting collaborations with institutes and industry from across India and the world and hoping to be able to give our students the education they deserve,” concludes Dr. Sudha.

Overhauling the education system in India: 7 critical changes that need to happen right now

Devyani Jaipuria, Pro Vice Chairperson, Delhi Public School

Devyani Jaipuria comes from a family of visionary philanthropists. She dons multiple hats in her various roles - a young and energetic-philanthropist, an industrialist and a global advocate for social welfare. In her role as the Pro Vice Chairperson of Delhi Public School, Sector-45, Gurugram, Delhi Public School - Jaipur, and Dharav High School-Jaipur, DPS International - Gurugram, Devyani puts equal emphasis on her roles as a vision creator and executor. She was instrumental in establishing DPS International, an institution which is a fore runner in the IB world; elevating DPS 45 to unprecedented levels of academic excellence; pioneering contemporary education with her Modern Montessori International (MMI) chain of Early learning schools, and leading the educational revolution at Dharav High School and DPS Jaipur.

Schools must ascertain objectively how best to integrate technology progressively from earlier grades to high school

The pandemic propelled a transformation in the education system that perhaps would have taken many more years to eventuate. Online learning suddenly became synonymous with learning, successfully superseding the traditional classrooms. While the last two years assumed an unprecedented importance in the journey of a reimagined education system, today, I believe, is all the more critical. As educational institutions now re-open, we need to strike a strategic balance between the old and the re-vamped. Concepts and approaches that have been incessantly talked about as the focus in an all-new learning space and an ever-evolving ecosystem need to be now implemented and that too with utmost celerity. Here are the changes that must be

integrated into the Indian education system today and now, for a tomorrow that is better for our students.

Technology integration is critical, but the ‘how’, ‘why’ and ‘to what end’ are more important to determine Technology waded into the education system faster in the last two years than it did in over a decade. Talking about K-12 education in particular, schools must continue to explore, develop and adopt effective models of techbased education that blend well with inperson learning. Institutions must implement a well-balanced combination of both to enable optimal learning. It is important to understand how to use technology with respect to each grade, different learning themes and even

student capabilities. Schools must ascertain objectively how best to integrate technology progressively from earlier grades to high school.

Apart from using tech as a learning tool, teaching new-age technological concepts which will perhaps be a requisite for many jobs of the future should be introduced early on in schools.

Collaboration, co-creation and global citizenship should be the focus Schools need to hone students to brace the real world and be prepared for jobs of the future and solve issues that haven’t been anticipated yet. Our curriculum needs to be purpose driven and inquiry based. Along with discipline-based literacy, a collaborative

approach where students can learn and engage with others and be able to apply their knowledge to real world with practical projects is critical. Children must be equipped with a higher sense of agency and purpose to shape not just their own lives, but think to impact on a large scale – communities, nation and environment. Institutions must integrate modules which will nudge children to become engaged citizens and morally driven leaders later in life.

Learners-first approach and personalization must not just remain concepts but be adopted as a reality We must adopt a progressive and modern approach to a personalized education experience for each

Students can no longer be assessed on mere subject grades, we need to formulate systems which evaluate them on knowledge, skills and how they are able to utilize those skills in real world

student throughout their education journey. It means to identify the unique talents of each student and create engagement modules and learning projects accordingly. Students must be able to learn at their own pace without the restriction of a non-adaptive curriculum. Technology has made it easier for us to implement a differentiated learning model which is aligned to individual needs. Some e-learning initiatives today use progressive technologies such as AI and ML to assess student data and use insights to create individual interventions.

Values must form the core of what we teach (and how we teach it)

Education in India can be a perfect example of the amalgamation of old and new. Taking inspiration from our ancestral education modules, instilling values such as loyalty, kindness, integrity and compassion should be an inherent part of the curriculum. Thematic knowledge can be supplemented with valuebased modules which have shown to make more confident, competent and intelligent learners. In fact, values such as resilience and humility are desired today in leaders and professionals across workplaces, giving them an advantage over their peers.

We must also assess skills and implementation of knowledge than just knowledge itself

We need to look at a revamped evaluation system as we adopt new approaches, pedagogies and learning models. Students can no longer be assessed on mere subject grades, we need to formulate systems which

evaluate them on knowledge, skills and how they are able to utilize those skills in real world. Project based, practical assessments and on-ground internships need to be a norm.

We need to ensure our future cohorts of children are all safe and cybersmart Yes, we have talked about technology integration and education already. But this deserves a special mention. Increased online presence also means that our students are now prone to more cybercrimes, cyber security failure being the 4th most critical threat to the world. We must integrate modules on digital citizenship, cybersecurity and cyberbullying to equip students to make the right choices when faced with a threat. Open knowledge resources online should be made accessible to all students.

Teachers need to learn with students Lastly, as learning evolves, so will the teachers. Teacher training has assumed more importance now than ever before. A collaborative learning environment needs well-trained teachers equipped to take up the differentiated requirements of all types of students. Creating a standardized teacher training module across institutions will aid further in creating an inclusive, vibrant ecosystem.

The future of Indian education sector is a system which is student-centered, purposedriven, inclusive and real - where the teacher, curriculum, pedagogies, assessment and the learner are radically transformed to be future-proof and future-ready.

Data and Arts - A Rising Market of Infographics for Aspiring Artists

Dr. Shruti Nigudkar, Head of School and Associate Professor, School of Visual Arts, Faculty of Design at MIT World Peace University (Formerly MIT Pune)

Dr. Nigudkar embraces an interdisciplinary pedagogy to approach education in Art and Design. She believes that both, the macroscopic and microscopic views are essential in approaching any art or design problem. She has a double Masters, one in Applied Arts and the other in Painting. Through her Ph.D. research, she has contributed to the domain of Art Aesthetics, where she synthesises multiple perspectives, like semiotics, linguistics, cognition, perception, and visual arts. Her core interests are diverse, spanning from Branding to UI/UX as part of Communication Design, and extend to Painting and Music. As an academician, her focus is on aligning education with real-world needs and developing research and problem-solving attitude.

Coinciding with the birth of datadriven methods, the refinement of infographics turned it into a tool that could be used in disseminating a great deal of complex data and insights in a concise and comprehensible manner

In the present times, data and art have been integrated to create visually appealing and aesthetically pleasing infographics featuring images, texts, statistics and other media in the field of electronic media. Leveraging information, ideas and media tools, artists weave into a vast amount of data to create unique, informative displays and stunning visualisations.

Graphic designers and illustrators create the right visual story that is channelled into interesting designs and patterns for engaging infographics that offer insights into our world.

Infographics also help brands connect with their audience through effective messaging for a lasting impact. Coinciding with the birth of data-driven methods, the refinement of infographics turned it into a tool that could be used in disseminating a great deal of complex data and insights in a concise and comprehensible manner. Transcending language barriers, data visualisation began to gain momentum in the 1970s with signage designs at airports, icons or infographics to explain major news stories in printed publications.

Further, the world of the internet brought a paradigm shift in the way infographics were designed, as people began accessing content online on websites. Interactive media, motion graphics to gifs, made their way to social media to the present day, classrooms, businesses and online domains to entertain, educate and engage. Hence, infographics have posed a deep and positive impact in delivering concise messages from advertisers, marketers and brands. It has also led to designers and illustrators adopting creative changes and newer tools to match the expectations of the audience.

The process of designing infographics allows artists the creative freedom to explore various styles or tools/ technology such as graphic editing software and design programs. Apart from fine motor skills, a design aspirant or new designer must possess creativity, attention to detail, multi-tasking abilities and interpersonal skills.

Further, being visually talented people, they have excellent drawing skills, along with the ability to sketch and communicate visually through creative thoughts. Good digital illustrators are expected to work within a brief and deliver the work to meet the expectations of the client while succinctly crafting a strong story.

In the age of data and automation, the future of infographics has strengthened and growing in leaps and bounds, as people want to be informed and entertained at the same time. From enterprise leaders to content makers, visual content like infographics data becomes more appealing to the audience. Its simplicity makes it a powerful tool to supply information and feature visual storytelling creatively for an instant connection with the viewer.

Good digital illustrators are expected to work within a brief and deliver the work to meet the expectations of the client while succinctly crafting a strong story

WOMEN LE ADER S IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Susmita Sarkar Chairperson, Dream Institute of Technology

Harvesting Next Generation of Skill-Enhanced Manpower

Indian engineering education is undergoing a major revamp as the government focuses on manufacturing and engineering. This includes upgrading engineering colleges, improving faculty quality, and providing better infrastructure for students. This sector is aligned with the government’s Make In India initiative, so engineering education is expected to grow both in the short and long run. Each year, India develops significant infrastructure to provide engineering education to tens of thousands of students across the country.

While technical education has made tremendous progress over the past decade, women are still disproportionately underrepresented in engineering. As women advance into leadership roles in engineering education, it could increase the appeal of engineering as a career to young women and encourage

I understood and learned the importance of teamwork and making proper decisions in life from my college days, and I never repented

Susmita Sarkar Chairperson, Dream Institute of Technology

women already involved in engineering education to aspiring to leadership positions. It goes without saying that a highly-talented engineer or technician can only be produced by excellent engineering and vocational training. With enviable teaching and training in engineering education, Susmita Sarkar, Chairperson, Dream Institute of Technology (DIT), provides quality and accredited technical education at a scale to meet the next generation of engineering skill requirements.

Why DIT?

The Dream Institute of Technology was founded in 2006 by Sarkar Trust, inspired by the government’s decision to encourage private initiative in higher technical education. The

Susmita has provided proper input to her entire executive team, as well as her faculty members and management, to take steps in innovation and technology innovation platforms and to harvest creative skills in students through inter and intracollege competitions

institute’s vision is to provide quality technical education to equip the country’s youth with employable and industry-ready skills at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Dream Institute of Technology established educational standards by emphasising five key pillars: dedication, research, education, advancement, and motivation.

Susmita shares, “Dream Institute of Technology was established with a vision to impart skill-enhanced manpower to the locality who can serve the country better with their proper engineering skills. I like to share that Dream Institute of Technology is the first institution in Eastern India to have an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Cell funded by the DST, Govt. of India.”

Proficient Education Leader – From Scratch

Susmita was a quiet student who prioritised her education, earning graduate and post-graduate degrees from a university. “I understood and learned the importance of teamwork and making proper decisions in life from my college days, and I never repented,” Susmita recalls. She learned time management as a child, which she now employs to manage her activities and schedule.

“I’m using my knowledge and skills to make this institute world-class,” Susmita says. I used digitisation in the selection of qualified faculty, a focus on emerging technology and best practices on campus, and using novel ideas and proper accreditation systems. The DIT

team focuses on the student-centric learner and the students on a one-by-one rotational basis, providing a safe working environment for the women, providing the best facilities for the handicapped, and providing an environment that is safe for the handicapped.

“I do not consider myself a leader at Dream Institute of Technology, but rather administrative technology,” Susmita continued, “but my role is crucial because whatever I do may be reflected in the institute’s functioning.” Susmita is a key decision-maker who ensures that the institute’s overall development does not stall. At the same time, she is accountable for the institute’s reputation, caring about the students’ future and looking after all of her employees and the institute’s future. She always makes better plans, observes the reasons for them, accurately calculates them with financial projections in consultation with her advisory teams, and then makes appropriate decisions as a key role player.

Motivating Students to Think Outside the Box

The Dream Institute of Technology’s motto is that innovation is the only way to live. They emphasise the students’ inventiveness. Susmita believes that each student is unique and that their needs are not the same. As a result, she strongly advises against using the traditional book method. “I encourage my students to come up with innovative ideas, which will be turned into projects by the end of their curriculum at the institution,” Susmita says. “I believe that more and more innovations will shape and create them, and wherever they go in their professional life, whether in jobs or doing some business or

starting their own startups, they will excel in their ideas, and that will be the future of India.”

Susmita has provided proper input to her entire executive team, as well as her faculty members and management, to take steps in innovation and technology innovation platforms and to harvest creative skills in students through inter and intra-college competitions. At the same time, the regular classes are dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship development in collaboration with other organisations nationally and globally to function and nurse the students’ innovation and creativity.

Conquering COVID Challenges

The Covid presented educators with a significant challenge. It has completely changed the country’s scenario. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit India in March 2020, and the country went into lockdown, it made it extremely difficult for Indian educational institutions to hold physical classes. The government mandated online classes, which resulted in a significant change in the educational system’s scenario. However, the situation presented a significant challenge to students and teachers regarding adapting them to simulate the online platform, handling the technology, and then talking about the content. “It was a bit advantageous as Chairperson of the Dream Institute of Technology to keep the future of the students in mind to provide them with the best educational support,” Susmita explained.

“By the end of 2019, I had planned to introduce online classes via an LMS, which is why I bought and collaborated, and we were preparing the online lectures, online tutorials, digital content, and many other things for

incorporation into this LMS,” Susmita recalls. “So, by the time the pandemic hit in March 2020, we were already accustomed to online teaching and understood what was going on.” DIT had already created digital content and videos that were beneficial to students. On the other hand, their students were more accustomed to online instruction through this LMS. “This offline to online transition was very smooth for me, and the journey was beneficial during the Pandemic, which I had used before. The implementation of online logbooks in customisation with our ERP platform was already ready to use soon after the pandemic began,” Susmita added.

Enhancing & Updating Every Step of Leadership

“The significance to me personally is of my father, because from him I learned how to succeed without any support despite coming from a humble background, and he also taught me never to lose hope until the very last moment and to face challenges bravely,” Susmita says.

“As I am a technocrat and an engineer in education, I keep up with the latest trends in education,” Susmita says. Following the postCOVID situation, the educational paradigm has shifted towards holistic education with human values as guided by statutory bodies, as well as the online learning method, open learning method, and synchronous learning, resulting in the best learning. She is focused on all of these things and tries to bring them together in her faculty members and the department so that they can be updated as needed in accordance with the New Education Policy of 2020.

Susmita understands that growth is often accompanied by awkward stumbles. “In fact,

As I am a technocrat and an engineer in education, I keep up with the latest trends in education

when the institution first started, I made many mistakes,” she says, “but I know that with experience, with maturity, I have found my way by stumbling over those stones. I’ve learned hard lessons from failures, and now I focus and think twice before making any constructive decision so that it does not negatively affect me, my institution, or my entire team of employees and students for whom I seek attention.”

While Susmita does spend a lot of time at her institute working and making it a point to attend every day, “I spend the first hour of my day practising yoga and meditating,” she says. “I suppose this helps me stay calm and healthy throughout the day.”

Advancing DIT through Innovation & Sustainability

Susmita underlines, “As an academic administrator, I think that with the implementation of the New Education Policy in 2020, there would be new dimensions in education, and I think it is the most advanced and most modified, so there is no change to be made, only it is to be followed as for the goal.”

Susmita is currently in charge of getting the institute accredited by the appropriate bodies, as well as looking for ways to establish news

institutes and collaborate with foreign partners so that it can grow.

DIT’s long-term goal is to have this institute self-sustaining by 2024, which means that your mid-server level is created and the institute is self-sufficient in financing and other administrative functions.

Women’s Leadership Status & Token of Advice

Women in leadership positions continue to be a minority in India, but this is not a barrier. It is rapidly expanding, with an increasing number of women assuming leadership roles as entrepreneurs, as well as in various industries and businesses, and leading the country. Susmita concludes, “I hope that more women will take on leadership roles in the education sector. I hope that the number of women in leadership positions can be increased by giving them an opportunity, by recognising and publicising their accomplishments on social media and other digital platforms to speak to society, so that ordinary women can be inspired and consider them as role models in life, and take on challenges in India’s living conditions and become leaders who can create examples by themselves after some time.”

Powerful protection designed for PC gamers

Career Counselling Tips for Students

Archana Eruvenkai, Counselling Psychologist, Beautiful Minds

Archana Eruvenkai is a Counselling Psychologist at Beautiful Minds. She has been previously associated with special needs children and has conducted and published research on Emotional IntelligenceandTestAnxietyamongstudents.Sheisanactivephilanthropist who has worked closely with various fellowships and NGOs like Dr. APJ Kalam Fellowship, and TFI. Her love and compassion for humanity motivated her to pursue her career in mental health.

The world today is competitive and opinionated. The education and experiences of life help students fight difficulties and choose a career they are passionate about. Sometimes, tough competitions, social influence, multiple opinions, and various other reasons can cause ambiguity and raise questions in students’ minds. At such times career counselling is a reliable source to help students choose what they are apt for and are passionate about.

As Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”, career counselling holds a significant place in the lives of students. It can aid their decisions and impact the way they approach their career choices, help find the best-fit career, help face challenges along the way, and help one gain the skills necessary for it.

Through counseling, other than the skills appropriate to their career, students are also

equipped to understand themselves and find what is right for them. It aims to teach life skills like Problem-solving, Decision making, Communication skills, finding the best opportunities, being patient, and managing things optimally.

Let’s take a look at a few tips that students need to follow while making career choices:

1. Assessment: Assessments of interest and personality are necessary for determining one’s career. It is important that the students understand the correlation between job satisfaction and emotional health. It is recommended for students to play to their strengths but not disregard their interests and passion. It is important to find the difference between achievable goals and irrational dreams to help the students introspect the best choice for them. Assessments cannot generally give a 100 per cent guarantee of a successful career. However, their results tend to cater as a

Through counseling, other than the skills appropriate to their career, students are also equipped to understand themselves and find what is right for them

guiding light to the students as a starting point with a few career options. It provides a holistic understanding of the student and their strengths, weakness, interest, and aspirations.

2. Communication: Communication between the counsellor and the student is very important, especially understanding what are the students’ interests, values, and skills are significant to finding what is right for them. The communication should come with a guarantee of confidentiality so that the students are confident to bare their souls to the counsellor. This, in turn, helps in getting a clearer perspective of what careers to pursue. Often times students are led by their parents’ aspirations for them, and the counsellor plays a very important to bifurcate the parents’ needs and the student’s aspirations. This is something that students also need to understand before making decisions.

3. Research: A significant amount of research must be done. The student, along with the added support of the counsellor, should engage in research about the different interests of the student. The students need to pay attention to the required resources shared by the counsellor for further learning and self-education. It helps in learning more about the industry and work ethics. The students must make use of additional resources like podcasts, videos, online courses, and digital and physical books.

4. Mapping: Finding the right path to each of the career options can help the student make more realistic and satisfying choices. The students should also be keen on pursuing internships, part-time jobs, etc., that can act as a bridge to their desired choice of career. The counsellor, on the other hand, needs to do specific research to

Finding the right path to each of the career options can help the student make more realistic and satisfying choices

understand what added courses, skills, etc., will benefit the student to pursue his desired career.

5. Strategising: The final step is to make a choice and strategise the journey towards a particular career. The process may include education choices, educational institutions, skills training, timetable, etc. The students need to assess all the requirements and strategise their further actions effectively.

Career counselling is a way to boost one’s confidence and fix the right path toward desired goals. Students feel supported and determined in the objectives of their careers when they are given the right guidance. Choosing the right career means a lifetime of contentment. In case one reaches a point where they no longer enjoy what they do, there’s always a choice of re-skilling and up-skilling oneself to pursue the newfound interest. This can be a process that requires a constant update as one matures and adjust themselves to the changing world.

WOMEN LE ADER S IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Dr. Urvashi Makkar

Director & Professor, Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad

Making Quality Education a Strong Foundation for your Life-long Career

In today’s age of uncertain job evolution, education, in conjunction with high intelligence scores, plays a pivotal role in attaining rewarding careers. Applying the knowledge and skills gained is a better indicator of taking one’s career to newer heights. “Education can be considered worthwhile only if the students can prepare themselves for the perpetual struggles of life and moulds them effectively to get them attuned to the fast-changing business scenarios while handling their social, moral, and democratic duties efficiently,” says Dr. Urvashi Makkar, Director & Professor, Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad.

Dr. Urvashi, along with IMS Ghaziabad, one of the trusted Business Schools in India with 32 years of academic legacy, has directed their focus on creating an ecosystem for providing

Dr. Urvashi Makkar Director & Professor, Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad

We strongly believe that education, being a social institution serving the needs of society, should be not only comprehensive, sustainable, and outstanding, but must continuously evolve to meet the challenges of the fast-changing and unpredictable globalised world

value-based education to students belonging to all sections of society and making higher education an effective instrument for the nation’s socio-economic transformation. “We strongly believe that education, being a social institution serving the needs of society, should be not only comprehensive, sustainable, and outstanding, but must continuously evolve to meet the challenges of the fast-changing and unpredictable globalised world,” proclaims Dr. Urvashi. Keeping this in mind, she holds and steers the reins of IMS Ghaziabad and helps create and nurture future business leaders capable of adapting to change and staying agile.

Incepted in 1990, IMS Ghaziabad offers a PGDM program approved by AICTE. It is amongst the very few B-Schools in the country that can boast of twenty years of uninterrupted accreditation by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and equivalence to MBA by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)

IMS Ghaziabad is the first Higher Educational Institute in Delhi and NCR to be awarded the elite ISO 21001:2018 Certification for its conformity to the requirements of the Management Systems for Educational Organisations (EOMS) standard and its PGDM Two-Year Full-Time. Program

since 2005. The Institute is also accredited globally by ASIC, U.K, and is a member of AACSB Business Education Alliance, USA.

Soaring to New Heights

Interestingly, the institute is the first Higher Educational Institute in Delhi and NCR to be awarded the elite ISO 21001:2018 Certification for its conformity to the requirements of the Management Systems for Educational Organisations (EOMS) standard and its PGDM Two-Year Full-Time Program. Dr. Urvashi adds, “My endeavours have always been to take the illustrious name of IMS Ghaziabad to newer heights by focusing not only on achieving the highest standards of academic excellence but also a highly effective corporate interface backed with multi-dimensional development opportunities.”

Its commitment to creating opportunities, challenging minds, and encouraging innovation give IMS Ghaziabad an edge over other institutions in this domain. The industryoriented curriculum delivered by a diverse pool of exceptionally competent and dedicated faculty allows the Institute to adopt innovative methods to stimulate interest and attention amongst the students. IMS Ghaziabad is well-equipped to meet and exceed the needs of its students.

Boasting of scholarships for meritorious students worth Rs. 2.7 crores; 360° holistic developmental approach; state-of-theart infrastructure; highly equipped Digital Library; Value-Added Certification Courses from MSME, Microsoft, and other reputed organizations; Global Alliances and multiple other achievements to its credit, the Institute

has attained a unique distinction & a reputed place amongst the best professional educational institutions in India. “The consistent and stellar placement record of IMS and the vast pool of the well-placed alumni base is a testimony to the extraordinary exposure and experience that students get at the Institute,” informs Dr. Urvashi.

She also tells us of the institute’s strong collaborations with renowned National and Global Corporate & Academic organisations and how these partnerships are leveraged to attain a remarkable Industry Interface for its budding managers through regular Live Projects, Industrial Visits, Seminars, Conferences, Workshops, Expert Talk Series

and many more. “All these unique initiatives have made IMS Ghaziabad the choicest destination for enterprising students on the lookout for professional Institutes delivering the real-world educational experience one needs to succeed in today’s competitive global marketplace. The Institute not only provides quality education but also develops values and skills in the young minds to become competent leaders of tomorrow,” reveals Dr. Urvashi.

Harnessing the Power of Innovative Pedagogical Tools

Creativity and imagination play a key role in shaping today’s children into better, wellequipped individuals in their personal and

Dr. Urvashi directs her focus not just on educating her students but also on ensuring that the faculty and infrastructure are aligned with the institute’s goals while always being geared up for the future

professional lives. Dr. Urvashi tells us how their curriculum is embedded with myriad innovative pedagogical tools that prove lifechanging. Novel initiatives such as programs for Pre-Placement Preparedness, Competency Mapping, Personal and Professional Skills Program (PPSP), Placement Readiness & Enhancement Program (PREP), and Student Peer Learning Initiatives, have been started to enhance the self-belief, confidence, ability & skills of the students to make them corporate ready and ace the selection process. The highly skill-oriented Value-Added Certification Programmes (VA-CPs) and Value-Added Short-Term Training Programs (VA- STTPs) delivered under the umbrella of Skill Enhancement & Corporate Readiness (SECR) impart a distinctiveness to the institute’s unique pedagogy.

At IMS Ghaziabad, an all-pervasive focus of the legacy of 32 years has always been on teaching, training, research, and consulting to equip young minds with the skills of the 21st-century workplace

The certifications are provided by expert agencies, viz. Microsoft, Global Human Resource Development Centre (GHRDC), Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), and Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), among many others. Initiatives like Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

(CIE), Language Lab, Versant Training for cracking the Big 4, Public Speaking Modules, Mentoring Program, Mock Interview Series, programs for Students Outreach and Grievance Redressal, Life Skills Training, Psychological Counseling further provide support to Dr. Urvashi and the institute’s endeavour to

develop the students for the corporate settings and sharpen their professional and personal skills. “A three-pronged strategy with an all-encompassing comprehensive approach towards achieving Academic Excellence, Corporate Readiness and Global Interface is interwoven throughout the PGDM Program,” elucidates Dr. Urvashi.

She explains that while most colleges equip students with theoretical knowledge, IMS Ghaziabad strives to prepare students to meet the challenges the outside world has to offer through practical knowledge and a global mindset. To this end, the institute provides Career Counselling, need-based education and organisational support to its budding

managers. She ensures that Industry Linkage through Seminars, Conferences, Symposiums, Guest Lectures, Live Projects, Certification and Training Programs, Networking Events, Industry Visits, and so on are essential aspects of the teaching-learning pedagogy. These steps enhance the student’s career prospects and help them get their dream job. A unique initiative, ‘Special Talk Series’ comprising deliberations in five different aspects, namely, Global Talk Series, Expert Talk Series, Corporate Talk Series, Alumni Talk Series, and Entrepreneurial Talk Series, has also been kick-started. “One of our major thrust areas is enhancing the Global Interface. Very recently, we organised our 30 hours flagship Global Talk Series on Strategic

Management for our PGDM students, led by the Managing Director of Morgan Franklin from Washington, USA,” adds Dr. Urvashi.

Assuring Well-equipped Personnel

Another key aspect that Dr. Urvashi reiterates that makes for academic excellence is a highly-qualified faculty panel. This approach demands that faculty be provided opportunities for professional development. The Institute encourages its faculty members to keep themselves updated by participating in various FDP/STTPs and workshops/Conferences outside the Institute and by organising an inhouse FDP/Training Program to fulfil faculty members’ development needs. The Institute encourages faculty members and provides financial support to attend such programs via a comprehensive Faculty Development Policy.

Making You Future-ready!

Dr. Urvashi directs her focus not just on educating her students but also on ensuring that the faculty and infrastructure are aligned with the institute’s goals while always being geared up for the future. Having conducted extensive research, she believes we are witnessing a whole new VUCA world, and today’s business landscape is no exception. The pandemic has put the business operations, IT systems, and digital capability of most organisations to a stress test. The ongoing digital revolution has further compounded the dynamic business environment. “One of the most pertinent issues in this scenario is how a student can compete realistically for new jobs in emerging technologies when they are devoid of the required skills? It is the prime responsibility of educators to address the myriad challenges

and opportunities brought forth by the digital era and accordingly equips the budding professionals with the skill sets imperative for their upcoming careers,” opines Dr. Urvashi.

At IMS Ghaziabad, an all-pervasive focus of the legacy of 32 years has always been on teaching, training, research, and consulting to equip young minds with the skills of the 21st-century workplace. In line with the need to develop efficient and trained professionals for Industry 4.0, the focus is on developing content skills, cognitive abilities, complex problem-solving abilities, social skills, and environment-conscious thinking in the students. Her advice to today’s youth is, “Youngsters must also understand that learning agility is the burning need of the hour. This is critical in current VUCA times,

IMS Ghaziabad has launched the Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) to harness the entrepreneurial streak of its talented students

wherein what is applicable and relevant today will quickly become redundant in a flash of time. When the young professionals are empowered with this agility, they will start preparing for the future challenges in a more focused way.”

All in all, the utmost responsibility of an educational Institute is to continuously transform its teaching-learning practices and stimulate innovation to raise the academic performance index. The past batches of PGDM students have performed exceedingly well. They have often crossed unmarked terrain in their journey to achieve personal and professional excellence for themselves through determination, perseverance, and tenacity, making it easy for future batches to follow in their footsteps.

Recently, the institute launched the Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) to harness the entrepreneurial streak of its talented students. An incubation centre to help budding entrepreneurs work on their startups and build them into scalable, profitable, and sustainable business is currently in the pipeline. Dr. Urvashi says, “We have recently launched ‘Peer-toPeer Mentoring’ sessions in collaboration with a reputed Institute of Delhi University wherein students of IMS Ghaziabad conducted coaching sessions for their fellow learners. The cumulative wisdom thus generated boosted creativity and learning for students of both the participating Institutes.” Having made quite the progress in the last three decades, Dr. Urvashi envisions continuing to make a positive impact in this sector in collaboration with IMS Ghaziabad.

Summer Vacation Time is Much More than Hobby Classes

Smriti Parikh, Head of Literacy, The Acres Foundation

Smriti began her career in education in 2014 at Teach for India. For the first two years, she taught middle-grade students at a public school in Mumbai. Simultaneously she conceptualized and designed the Good to Great program, based on the book of the similar name by James Collins, and Skillful Teacher by John Saphier. She then transitioned into the role of a coach and manager for two years. Smriti is passionate about designing language learning experiences rooted in cultural contexts which aim at developing essential academic and life skills.

According to the Pedagogy of Play, a working paper by Project Zero at Harvard University, productive playtime is indicated by aspects of choice, wonder, and delight

Summertime in India is typically characterized by the onset of structured camps and hobby classes. In an effort to provide structure and meaningful engagement, children are deprived of playtime. Hobby classes and summer camps, while useful for learning new skills, stifle collaboration and limit creative thinking.

Children are born thinkers driven by curiosity and imagination. Playtime unleashes this potential and harnesses the executive function skills and social emotional skills.

During playtime, children make their own meaning of the world around them. They can learn a myriad of ideas ranging from, what it means to include everyone during a game, to more complex problems, how can we ensure fair play? Through this process children both create and understand the language for communication as well. More importantly, in a world where the need for movement has been eliminated by technological advancements, playtime promotes physical development in an accelerated manner.

So what does play look like?

Play does not always have to be with other children or outside. Children can play with a family member, with a group of friends, or independently. They can play with materials such as LEGOs, clay, manipulative and they can play with zero resources. What is happening during playtime is essential in differentiating whether it is beneficial or not. According to the Pedagogy of Play, a working paper by Project Zero at Harvard University, productive playtime is indicated by aspects of choice, wonder, and delight.

● Choice: Children can choose who they want to play with, what games they would like to play, how long they would want to play it, and what rules must they follow. A sense of ownership or a child saying ¨I want to play with…" drives choice making. However, choice making by itself is not enough. Empowering children to negotiate (rules, teams, play time, wins and losses), share ideas (role play, cooking, and obstacle courses) and collaborate with at least one other person is extremely important. Group play facilitates most of these skills naturally. During independent play or guided play, family members can ensure they are asking questions and challenging children adequately by asking questions (why do you want to play with…/ when will you want to play another game…/ can you tell me how you will do this…).

● Wonder: Having an element of surprise or fascination is a huge aspect of playtime. Have you ever thought about why hide and go seek was such a thrilling experience during childhood? During play, children often begin to create their own imaginary worlds. They will often be seen talking to themselves which helps them develop the inner voice of reason and reassurance. Children

who engage with play filled with wonder, develop far more resilience than ones who dabble only in structured play time. By creating unanticipated challenges (I wonder what to do next…) and waiting for the child to figure out how to solve the problem you can unlock the essential skills of persistence and critical thinking.

● Delight: A joyful child will derive far more out of playtime than a child who feels isolated. Embedding the child's interest in games we play can go a long way in making children feel appreciated. This allows the child to feel relaxed and safe which are also key to enabling choice and wonder. You might be able to notice delightful play when a child is singing, celebrating or being extremely attentive. Allowing children to drop an activity or change the rules of the game mid-way might be a small way to ensure they are seeking joy from it. Being attuned to their emotions is important and providing opportunities of choice or wonder at the inception of negative emotions might just do the trick!

Making time for play Yes, camps and classes also allow children to learn new skills and meet new people. That does not mean we can replace playtime with such pursuits. Provide spaces to children to engage in playtime independently and with others. Play along with them and model how unstructured time can be spent imaginatively. Make it a habit to move to play spaces when you begin to notice signs of boredom. This will eventually be replicated by children even when others are not around. More than anything, use the opportunity of play to know your children better and foster deeper relationships with them.

6 Ways to Deal with Competitive Exam pressure: Tips to Success

Soumya Taneja, Head-Junior School, Summer Fields School

Soumya Taneja, Head Junior School at Summer Fields School, Gurugram has an experience of ten years of in the sphere of education. She has been a part of various training programs for teachers on how to make classrooms engaging and innovative. She has coordinated, conceived, and authored graphic novels on various subjects in the middle school as an initiative of the CBSE and NCERT. The launch of one of the novels on gender was done on International Women’s Day 2021. She has also worked on the skill development manuals of CBSE. Recipient of ISA for her contribution to the education community.

Students are advised to take regular mock tests which also assist in identifying the weak areas and focus level

Asituation — whether something environmental, such as a looming exam or psychological, such as persistent worry about failing in life — can bring on levels of stress and burnout that can hinder one’s studies. Hence, it's important to stay calm and collected as you can during the exam period.

Yes, we know it’s easier said than done.

Below are some tried and tested ways to relieve exam stress and the awful symptoms. The tips will also improve your productivity and increase the chances of doing your absolute best in your exams. Remember, you've got this and there’s more to life!

Plan your timetable

Time management can make all the difference. Plan ahead, allocate times for all daily activities and make a priority list of subjects and topics.

Students are advised to take regular mock tests which also assist in identifying the weak areas and focus level. Don't wait till the night before to prepare. Having a well-structured plan will help you become more organized, productive and motivated, hence keeping stress and anxiety at bay and giving you control over the situation.

Take regular breaks

If a student is spending most of his or her time studying confined to the house, their productivity is going to reduce. This can lead to saturation of information inside the brain and ultimately fatigue. Research shows that taking purposeful breaks from studying to refresh your brain and body increases your energy, productivity, and ability to focus. For eg: listening to music works wonders; it will lighten your mood and help you resume your

studies with more intensity. You can go out, take a walk in the park or cycle around. Breathing in the fresh air and spending time amid nature can reduce a considerable amount of exam stress and anxiety.

Exercise, eat healthy and stay fit

Your brain needs to relax to be able to read, interpret and consume information. Extensive study hours, inappropriate diet, and huge amount of stress can hamper your physical as well as mental health. Therefore, we highly recommend students to exercise and meditate to stay fit and active. Make sure you have a healthy and nutritious breakfast for an energetic start to your day and a lighter dinner so you don’t feel tired and sleepy right after. If you love snacking, keep a box of dry fruits and nuts handy. It can satisfy that mid-afternoon craving while tiding you over with filling fiber and protein. Last but not least, drink enough water and fresh juices to stay hydrated.

Get enough sleep

Inadequate sleep, even just one night, will affect your abilities and stress levels. Make sure you get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day.

Sleeping well is crucial, especially during exams. Sleep helps your brain absorb more knowledge and remember information for longer periods of time. Moreover, a good night’s sleep can help you concentrate better and reduce stress.

Stop the comparison and believe in yourself

If you’re experiencing a negative thought, try to replace it with a positive one. Everyone has his/ her own time zone in which they achieve success. Comparing yourself with others will take you nowhere. Instead, try to find the purpose of your life and start working on it with complete dedication. It is important to be kind to yourself.

Seek help from experts

If you’ve tried to manage your stress yourself but nothing is working, reach out for help. There is no shame in seeking advices from experts as it will help you to take your career in the right way. You can talk about what you’re feeling with your parents, sibling, friend, or even a teacher you trust. Alternatively, don't be afraid to seek professional help and support, if the need arises.

Comparing yourself with others will take you nowhere. Instead, try to find the purpose of your life and start working on it with complete dedication