A LIFE DEDICATED TO EDUCATION>

It was 01 July 1965. I was running the 23rd year of my life. I had obtained my Masters in English and B.Ed. It was on this day that I joined my first posting as Lecturer in English in Vishwa Bharti Women’s’ College, Rainawari, Srinagar, Kashmir. The College was situated in the locality where I lived and the Institution had taught my sisters and cousins. I taught English Language and Literature up to Degree Classes for 12 years. During this period, I worked with two Principals; Shri S. L. Vaishnavi and Shri S.L Sadhu. I was instrumental in introducing Women’s Cricket for which a Pitch was laid with the help of Mr. O. N. Pajnu. I also took students to SMS to learn swimming and then taught them Boating in the Nagin Lake. Girls were regularly coached in Badminton and Hockey by coaches from SAI. Annual Inter-collegiate Debating Competitions were held and Morning Assembly was integral.

On 17 March 1977, the management posted me as Principal of the Vishwa Bharti Girls Higher Secondary School, in the same campus. My lien was retained in the College. I was assigned a specific task of converting the School from Hindi Medium to English Medium and improve the Quality of Academics in 2 to 3 years. By April 1979, the School was a full-fledged English Medium School with over 2500 Girl students and a Premier Pre-Primary Department, which was appreciated by the Rev. Mother of Presentation Convent, Srinagar and Prof CL Vishen, the Founder of CASSETTE and WALDEN Schools.

On 5th December 1979, the institution was authorised to start a Women’s B.Ed. College and I was appointed as Founder Principal of this College. I administered and taught in the College for 11 years. Our students bagged Positions in order of merit continuously year after year, in the University of Kashmir.

I completed my M.Ed. with a First Class First and undertook Research in Cognitive Psychology at Regional College of Education, Ajmer. I completed my Research for Ph. D. with University of Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, I worked on Memory also and was awarded Doctorate in Educational Psychology by the Cosmopolitan University, USA.

In 1987, the Management deputed me to Noida as Consultant and the task was to set up a Public School. I shuttled between Srinagar and Noida and by 10 April 1988, Vishwa Bharti Public School, Noida started functioning. I would spend the months of winter at Noida and Summer at Srinagar.

In January 1989, due the mass exodus of Hindus from the Valley, I came to Noida where I spent a few months. I was asked to run a Camp College for B.Ed. Students at Jammu in a Hotel so as to enable students of the batch to complete the Syllabus and be prepared for the University Examinations. Meanwhile, the Foundation Stone of the Teacher Training College and Public School was laid at Akhilpopra,Jammu.

In August 1991, I had completed my 26 years of dedicated service to the Institution and I urged the Management to relieve me as I wanted to shift outside the State. I was verbally allowed to proceed.

On 4 September 1991, I took over as Principal of the Maheshwari Public School, Jaipur. I brought a few innovative practices and with the support of ECMS I was able to create systems and bring in Quality.

In March 1993, I shifted to Delhi and took over as Principal of Gyan Bharti Saket. I met my Mentor Mr, M. N. Kapoor and resolved a long-standing dispute between the Management and the Parents.

In June 1994, I shifted as Principal of Apeejay School, Sheikh Saria, New Delhi and learnt many new techniques of operating a Quality School.

In September 1995, I took over as Director of the Rani Laxmi Bai Group of Public Schools, Jhansi and looked after Schools at Datia, Lalitpur and Jhansi. I continued here till January 2001.

I later shifted as Director, Rajendra Lohia Vidya Mandir, Hathras in 2001 and subsequently joined as Educational Consultant and Dean Academics at Darshan Academy, Delhi. The Society was running 15 Schools across India and pioneering a movement in teaching of Spiritual Curriculum. The focus was on Academics, Meditation, Non-Violence and Spirituality.

I also Worked with NABET, Quality Council of India as a Quality Expert and Resourced dozens of Workshops for Principals and Assessors on Quality Accreditation. I was  a Member of the Accreditation Committee and later NABET Technical Committee.

NIIT Ltd wanted to be a Training organisation for Accreditation and I was appointed as a Consultant by NIIT for 03 years. I succeeded in getting NIIT empanelled as a Training and Accreditation Agency.

I also worked as an Advisor to NEXT Education for a year.

I conducted mentoring Workshops for Teachers and Principals and CBSE Empanelled me as an Agency for Training of Teachers Pan India.

I have trained over 1,30,000 teachers in about 200 Schools across India and mentored over 6,000 Principals in IECS All India School Leadership Workshops.

I have been on the Managing Boards of Scores of Schools, like: Model Academy, Jammu; Academic World School, Bemetara, Chhattisgarh; Vidya Niketan, Ranchi; RLVM, Hathras, Educational Advisor to DALIMSS Group of Public Schools, Varanasi; etc.

My students are Professors in Central and other Universities, IAS and IPS officers, Doctors of eminence and they are settled in India and abroad.

I am thankful to God for having given me an opportunity to serve a large number of students, teachers, Principals; across the length and breadth of our country. On 25th December 2024, I will be celebrating my 84’th Birthday. I express my gratitude to all my students, teachers and Members of Management of the organisations I worked with for having provided me with an opportunity to work and serve with honesty, sincerity, integrity and humility.

God Bless them all.