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What is your perspective on NEP 2020 and its implementation in early childhood education? NEP is about implementation, transformation, and policy. Transformation cannot happen with a closed or transactional mindset—it requires an open mindset. Leaders play a crucial role in implementing NEP. They must take initiatives to prepare people, especially teachers. When we build people, we help them grow. Today, many institutions prefer experienced teachers, but experience often comes with a traditional mindset. We need to create space for new learning, adaptation, and innovation. Old methods, textbooks, and examination patterns must be paused to allow room for change. A teacher handles everything in a classroom. If they are occupied with traditional tasks like maintaining registers and logbooks, they won’t have time to innovate. While setting standards is a leader’s job, personalization is equally important. Managing personalization for 40 students is challenging, so teachers need proper training, methodologies, and continuous support. Teacher training and leadership support systems are essential for real transformation. In early childhood education, how important are hygiene and infrastructure standards? Hygiene is essential, but I would define it more broadly as institutional readiness. If the environment is not hygienic, secure, and well-equipped with medical support, children will not feel safe. A clean, secure, and friendly environment builds trust. Without that trust, children may attend school physically but will not truly engage or develop. Basic requirements like cleanliness, proper washrooms, fire safety systems, and medical facilities must be in place. Beyond that, the environment should feel warm and welcoming. When children trust their environment, they are able to express themselves, learn better, and develop holistically. Hygiene, therefore, is a fundamental part of institutional development. What is your view on digital hygiene in early childhood education? Digital hygiene is still lacking, and this may be uncomfortable to admit. Many teachers use platforms like WhatsApp to share activity links, including AI-based tools. However, these links are often not secure. A young child can easily navigate away to other platforms like YouTube. Digital hygiene requires continuous guidance. Parents must be actively involved. If a child is using a device for even 30 minutes, a parent should be present during that time. While schools may implement secure systems within classrooms, the real challenge lies at home. Accountability is key. Without supervision and guidance, children may consume inappropriate or irrelevant content. Parents need to adjust their routines to ensure proper monitoring of their child’s digital consumption. What are your key takeaways from today’s forum? It has been an amazing experience. Leadership also requires mentorship, and being around experienced people is very important. This platform brings together different generations—boomers, millennials, and Gen Z—each with different educational backgrounds and experiences. This kind of interaction helps bridge the generational gap. Such collaboration is essential if we aim to build a strong future. Guidance and mentorship are crucial, and I hope to carry forward this legacy while also becoming a mentor for the next generation.  

Can you tell us about The Mindcraft School and its vision? Thank you so much. I am the Director Principal of The Mindcraft School, Surat. It is an upcoming new project, and this is our first year. We are coming up with a CBSE school but with a completely different model based on inquiry-based and competency-based learning. The word “Mindcraft” has a deeper meaning—“mind” and “craft” together signify crafting minds. Crafting requires precision, and that is how we have carefully chosen and researched the name. It is not just a name but a philosophy. From the preschool level onwards, we follow an inquiry-based and competency-based model. There is no rote learning; instead, the focus is on understanding, learning, and becoming responsible and well-read citizens in this era of innovation and skilling. What initiatives are you taking in terms of innovation and skilling? We are focusing strongly on skill development. Even when students learn music or dance, it is integrated with skill-building. We also have a dedicated sports academy within the school. One of the key initiatives we have introduced is one hour of compulsory sports every day for every child, starting from preschool. It is structured, with trained coaches guiding them. This helps in developing social skills and building resilience, especially in handling failures. We aim to first shape them into the right human beings and then guide them towards academics. What are your key takeaways from today’s event? One of the best aspects of today’s event is the blend of school education and higher education participants. As I mentioned earlier, education follows a spiral learning system. A school cannot function in isolation. We need to prepare students for the next stage—college. If we are not aware of what colleges expect, we cannot prepare students effectively. The discussions today helped us understand what higher education institutions are looking for, and accordingly, we can align our approach. It is about working backward from the desired outcome. Any message or wishes for ArdorComm as it completes four years? Many congratulations and best wishes. It is just four years now—I would say let’s move towards 14 and even 40 years ahead. I have been associated with your events for almost three years now. It has always been a great experience. It was wonderful to be part of this forum.  

Can you tell us more about Noble University and its journey? We started our journey in 2007, and in 2022 we attained university status. We began with just a B.Pharm program, and since then, we have come a long way. Today, we offer courses in engineering, pharmacy, nursing, Ayurveda, homeopathy, and management. We currently have around 7,500 students on campus, and the journey that started in 2007 is still progressing strongly. Is AYUSH education also a part of your university? Yes, all the required components of AYUSH are there, and we are actively working on them. How are innovation and skilling being promoted at your institution? We are actively promoting innovation and skills. We have received support and scholarships from startup initiatives by the Gujarat government and KCG. Under their guidance, students are coming up with new startups and innovative ideas. We are providing them with platforms to work on these ideas, and things are progressing in a very positive direction. Do you have incubation facilities at your university? We are in the process of establishing incubation facilities. After becoming a university, there are several aspects we need to develop, and this is one of them. We are working on it and will have it in place soon. How do you approach admissions and outreach, especially being located in Junagadh? Junagadh has now become an education hub of Saurashtra. Students come not only from Junagadh but also from nearby areas like Dhoraji, Gondal, Keshod, and Jetpur. We provide transportation facilities, with buses operating daily, and we also have hostel facilities on campus. Around 2,000 students stay in hostels at any given time. How do platforms like this, bringing together academia, government, and corporates, benefit the education ecosystem? Such platforms allow us to share ideas and gain new perspectives. If these ideas are implemented, they contribute to the growth of universities and students. In the 21st century, we are growing rapidly as a nation. We are not just following global trends—we are setting them. Platforms like this bring everyone under one roof to exchange ideas. However, it is important that these discussions also reach students, as they are the ultimate beneficiaries. I would suggest that students should also be invited to attend such events so they can directly observe and understand what is being done for them. Any message or wishes for ArdorComm as it completes four years? I have been associated with your organization since its inception. I have seen your journey from the very beginning. The growth over the past four years has been remarkable, and the number of people connected with you has increased significantly. Keep doing this good work. As Mother Teresa said, “What you do today may seem like a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be empty without that drop.” So keep contributing consistently. I wish the entire team all the very best. Even after four years, I see the same energy in your work—keep going, and we look forward to staying connected in the future.  

You have been associated with this event for quite some time. How do you view the evolution of such platforms? It is my pleasure. I have been associated with your event for the last three to four years. Previously, I worked with ISRO, and this is my third term as a Vice Chancellor. I was going through the tracks you have planned—from education policy reforms to the role of AI and ICT. The kind of industry presentations you have arranged, such as Microsoft and ERP solutions, are very relevant. These technologies are already being used in teaching-learning processes and governance practices. In terms of innovation and skilling, what initiatives are being taken at your university? I follow three different philosophies for technology adoption in a university. Technology adoption in classrooms is the easiest. Adoption in governance practices is the next level. The most difficult is adoption in laboratories, as it requires significant investment. In our university, we have multiple faculties such as health, medical, dental, Ayurveda, and nursing. We have invested in advanced equipment even beyond regulatory requirements. For example, fetal medicine, CT scan, MRI, and advanced pathology labs are not mandatory as per council norms, but we have established them. Such infrastructure benefits both students and faculty. On the engineering side, we have installed DGX H200 systems, which are considered a standard today. We have identified five verticals where this technology can be applied: health, agriculture, education and governance, manufacturing industry, and geospatial (GOI-related applications). In AI, our focus is on these five key sectors, aligning with the needs of digital transformation. How do forums like this, which bring together academia, government, and corporates, help society? Everything cannot be done in-house. Our main task is teaching, learning, research, and innovation. Technology development is the strength of industry. Universities cannot build ERP systems or large-scale equipment on their own. Collaboration is essential. Such events provide a single platform where universities and industry partners can interact and understand emerging technologies. For example, developing large language models is extremely challenging—even at a national level. So instead, we are working on small language models. We have downloaded models and are applying them across our five verticals. We have dedicated teams working on prompt engineering and model distillation. Similar to how DeepSeek was developed using open-edge approaches, we are following similar methodologies. Within a short time, we expect to develop our own AI solutions, which will be integrated into university governance. However, adopting AI is not just about technology—it also requires restructuring workflows. Humans will not be replaced; instead, AI combined with human effort will enhance efficiency. Any message or good wishes for ArdorComm as it completes four years? You are doing wonderfully well. Your presence is across India, and your events cover multiple sectors and geographies. I still remember when I suggested organizing an event in Ahmedabad while I was in Rajasthan. Now, it is good to see your expansion in Gujarat. Gujarat has over 100 universities, and the government is very proactive in technology development. A significant budget has been allocated for long-term programs in education and technology. Now it depends on university leadership to present the right proposals and take advantage of these opportunities. You are doing a great job—keep it up. Looking forward to your future events.  

At IIIT Vadodara, while students traditionally have an engineering mindset, there is also a growing entrepreneurial mindset. What initiatives are being taken to support this? The scenario has completely changed now. Earlier, people were mostly focused on government jobs or traditional career paths, but today, most students want to pursue entrepreneurship. An institute serves as a platform where students are guided on how to think big, think differently, and think out of the box. The key part is implementation. For implementation, two things are very important—funding and sincerity. Institutes evaluate how sincere you are and then provide platforms, even up to TRL level 3 or 4, to support you. Today, across India, there are many platforms available. If you are truly sincere, you won’t face problems with funding or even accessing the market. In the EdTech space, especially with Artificial Intelligence, do you see AI as a game changer? Technology works like a sinusoidal wave—there are always ups and downs. Technocrats and market leaders continuously observe these changes. This is a very critical time where policymakers must carefully think, especially considering global developments. We need to decide how much technology we should adopt. AI is an amplifier. It can enhance what already exists, but it cannot replace the basics. You must provide the right input—without input, there will be no amplification. We need to educate people to focus on the input side, not just the output. Nowadays, people are doing the reverse—they only look at outputs without understanding the inputs. In terms of teaching, learning, and employability, what initiatives are being taken? Also, do alumni play an important role? The first and most important thing is knowledge. As mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita: “Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana.” Employability comes much later. At a young age, students should not be burdened with too much pressure about jobs. Let them first gain knowledge—this is where the real gap exists today. From my 30–40 years of experience, including my time at IIT Roorkee, I have observed that there is no real problem with employability if knowledge is strong. Earlier, even before campus placements became common, people still got jobs. The focus was on knowledge. Today, everyone is running after salary packages—but what will you do with money alone? You cannot “eat gold biscuits.” What role do alumni and corporate culture play in an institution’s growth? Every element in society has its own role—family, friends, corporates—all contribute differently. When we were studying, we didn’t even know what the corporate world was. Around 1990, this concept wasn’t common, yet people succeeded and worked globally. I appreciate the Government of India for focusing on the Indian Knowledge System (IKS). Our traditional system is unique. Like breathing involves oxygen and nitrogen, every component has a role. The key concern today is peer pressure and excessive pampering of students. These should be reduced. How important is teacher training, and what initiatives are being taken? Teachers must continuously upgrade themselves—just like doctors. Otherwise, even a teacher may struggle in the classroom. A teacher might appear confident outside, but in a 60-minute class, the real test happens. That’s why staying updated is essential—whether in technology, research, or societal developments. Attending conferences and meetings is very helpful. What you may not learn from 100 books, you can sometimes learn in a single day through meaningful discussions. Platforms like this summit bring together academia, corporates, and government. How does such collaboration help society? Such platforms are useful only if there is proper follow-up. Otherwise, they lose meaning. I am being very frank—there is usually no follow-up. School teachers don’t even participate actively. At our campus, we have adopted 14 schools because students come from there. If we don’t train them and their teachers, nothing will improve. There must be continuous engagement. Organizers should identify a few people and ensure ongoing interaction. Otherwise, meetings happen, and then everyone forgets the next day. That’s why the success of many programs is declining. What is the solution to bridge this gap? Earlier, organizers ensured follow-ups. Now, institutions need dedicated teams for this. You must create a system where people regularly visit schools, interact with students, and build continuity. The impact may only be visible after 5 years, but that’s how real change happens. What entrepreneurial or part-time programs are being introduced in your campus? The mandate of a technological institute is to develop technocrats. Teaching from textbooks is just the foundation. The real task is to transform that knowledge into market-ready solutions and technologies. We are working towards this through project-based learning, project-based courses, and modifying lab structures. I believe we are moving in a very positive direction. ArdorComm is a young organization in the digital media space. Any message or wishes for us? My good wishes are always with anyone working in technology. That is why I am here—to encourage you. You are working for a good cause. My suggestion is to build a strong core group and focus on meaningful initiatives, even if they are small initially. Over time, these efforts will grow and take you forward. I feel that many people today are still confined within limited exposure. You should work on expanding their outreach and thinking beyond boundaries.  

We would like to know more about your brand Perhey – House of Children. So basically, we come from the east part of Ahmedabad, and currently we run multiple centers of the brand called Pink and Blue Kids. So we already had a brand which is a successful brand in Ahmedabad by the name Pink and Blue Kids. Recently, we have launched a new brand which is named as Perhey – House of Children. So it is the premium brand which we have launched, and we are getting so much love and care from our parents and our kids now. You have been in early childhood education for quite some time. Can you tell us more about your experience? Yes, we have been a part of the early childhood industry for like 15 years now. I have trained more than 12,000–13,000 children till date. So with that experience, we thought of launching this brand, and yes, we are doing it right now. What difference have you observed before and after the implementation of NEP 2020 in early childhood education? I take it very positively. The change is really good. When the change is there, it is not very easy to adapt, but change is always good. Change is uncomfortable, but once you adapt, it is always for the betterment of society. Previously, preschool education was not formally accepted, but now as the government has regularized it, preschool education is also mandatory. So now parents and people around feel that education is important, and people are more inclined towards kindergarten education. So it is obviously a plus point for the preschool industry. How sensitive is it to handle the preschool segment? This is the most sensitive industry to be in because you are handling kids who are from the age of 3 to 6 years. It is the most sensitive age, and kids cannot handle themselves. So obviously, more care is required. That is why it is a very sensitive industry. Unlike K-12 schools, where children are more independent, kindergarten students are dependent on parents and teachers. So it is a very sensitive responsibility. What safety and hygiene measures are you maintaining across your centers? Looking at the current scenario, safety is the most important factor which parents look at. Every child will learn ABC and 1, 2, 3 no matter where you put them, but what parents are really concerned about today is safety. Child safety must be at the peak. For that, our team is trained, CCTV cameras are always there, and access is also given to parents so that they stay aware and updated about what their child is doing. These are the key parameters we are maintaining. What are your key takeaways from the ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit and Awards? ArdorComm Media has been very special to us. We have been awarded twice by the company and have been recognized by them, so it really feels like a pleasure to attend the summit. In this summit, there are very esteemed speakers, and we get insights about the industry—what it is all about and where we are heading. The key insights we get from industry experts are what ArdorComm Media is providing as a platform. I really appreciate you for taking this initiative and thank ArdorComm Media for organizing such wonderful events which help industry experts collaborate and share their thoughts. This platform truly enables all of that.

What is your experience of attending this forum, especially compared to metro-based events like Mumbai? Thank you so much. It was wonderful meeting so many educators from the state of Gujarat, and there was so much to learn. First of all, I would like to congratulate you for bringing these regional chapters. What happens here is that we come out of our own cocoon and get to know what is happening at the grassroots level. It is a wonderful initiative. There are a lot of differences, but more than differences, I think we need to find similarities. Wherever educators go, if they are visionary, they go for learning. What I learned today is that schools following the state curriculum here in Gujarat are doing phenomenal work. So it is not about the kind of gathering, it is all about learning and becoming a seeker. Whenever I come to your forum or any forum, I go as a seeker, and the more I become a seeker, the more enlightened I become. How do you see digital transformation linked with skilling in education? I love being digital. Let me tell you, I am the biggest promoter of AI because why not make AI your faithful servant rather than your authoritative master. The more we learn about AI as educators, the better we will be able to guide our students and parents. Technology is here to stay, and every 10 years something new comes, and we see it as a threat. But it is not a threat, it is an opportunity. Our children at the age of 9 and 10 are creating things. So why not be a part of this era, which gives you a lot of free time if you want, and use that time to mentor your children rather than just teaching them through chalk and talk. Be there for your students as a mentor, not just a traditional teacher. What are three simple parameters students can follow in their daily lives? Three easy ways—first is learn how to learn. If you learn that, life will become sorted. Second is always be ready to become a seeker. I always say let children ask questions. The art of questioning should be a subject in school, integrated with all subjects. Third is be happy with whatever is happening because the world has become a flat economy. Anything happening anywhere in the world reaches our classrooms. So stay happy, learn, and enjoy life. What are your key takeaways from today’s forum? I see that everybody is future-centric. Everyone wants to move towards Viksit Bharat. The most beautiful thing I saw today is that it is not just talk—everyone has opened their doors and said, “Come to our school, see what we are doing.” This is something phenomenal. Magic can be created when we open our doors. Your organization, through this summit, has created that platform. Even for me, it has opened doors to many schools that I would like to visit and collaborate with in the future. Keep doing this phenomenal work. It is beautiful, and magic can happen when we come together.  

What are the key digital education initiatives in your school, especially around the theme ‘Digital Learning for All’? So AI is the future, and AI is here to stay. The first thing that we need to do is to train educators. AI in education will not begin with algorithms. AI in education will begin with trained teachers. The first thing is to train teachers. So we did a training last year where we trained all our 500 teachers in AI education—how to use AI tools, how to make presentations, notes, worksheets, websites, apps. Every single teacher has been trained in AI education. Because today, a young child is talking in class about Gemini, and if a teacher does not know what Claude or Gemini is, there is a disconnect. The student will immediately say that my teacher does not know what is happening in the world. So teachers have to go hand in hand with the knowledge of the student. Second is that we have to teach students about AI, cyber security, and skills that will be needed in the future from a very early age. So we have introduced a program called Future Edge Program from grade one. They are taught digital wellness, cyber security, AI, robotics, coding from grade one itself. These are the ABCs of today’s world—A for AI, B for blockchain, and C for cyber security. Data is the new textbook, and we have to ensure how we prepare our students for the future. Is it too early to introduce digital learning and AI to young children? How do you balance it? At an early age, it is not about burdening the child. AI is everywhere. You go on Alexa, you use an iPhone, you say “Hey Siri”—it is AI. The child is already using it in some way or the other. So it is not about burdening, it is about guiding them in the right direction. If we do not catch them early and guide them on how to use these tools, it may become a disaster in the future. We cannot run away from AI. We have to accept it and ensure that we have checks and balances in place so that the child is in a safe environment. At the same time, AI in education does not begin with algorithms, it begins with empowered educators. Continuous training of teachers is mandatory, and then it can go to the students. What should parents consider while selecting a school for their child? Trust is a very important factor in education. The moment you want to put your child in a school, every school is doing wonderfully well. Everyone is trying their best. But the most important factor is trust—that this is the school where my child will become a good human being and will be given the tools to be ready for the future. Every 5–10 years, the world keeps changing. Around 65% of students entering grade one will work in jobs that do not exist today. So what is being taught today may become redundant, and what will be useful does not exist yet. So schools must focus on skills rather than just content. Today, content is accessible everywhere. Asking the right questions is more important—that is prompt engineering. Skills include digital skills, but also physical health, mental health, overall well-being, environmental stewardship. We must focus on what skills will be needed to solve future problems and on learning how to learn. You were not taught Gmail, Instagram, or Google in school, but you adapted. That is what we need to teach—how to keep adapting to new technologies. What are your key takeaways from today’s event? It was a great interaction, meeting new people. There were many school educators, representatives from government, and corporates. The overall focus is on making good human beings who are ready for the future. That is the one-line takeaway which I strongly believe in and which was a consensus among all the panelists. In today’s world, with increasing extremism, wars, and polarized thinking, we have to ensure that we are rooted in our values, in our Indian ethos, and become good human beings first. At the same time, we must be ready to face the future. That balance is very important.