1. Mrs. Sangeeta Joshi, a dedicated educationist from Barmer, has been serving the Rajasthan Education Board since 1991, beginning her journey at Chohtan and contributing across multiple schools in the region. Currently a Principal, PO, and Grade I Gazetted Officer, she oversees five surrounding village schools, driving academic and administrative excellence.

2. Dr. Divya Radhakrishnan, a leading homoeopathic doctor with 15+ years of experience, is transforming holistic healthcare through her clinics in Tiruchirappalli and Salem. Known for her “Zeal to Heal” approach, she actively mentors young doctors and promotes homoeopathy nationwide. She has received multiple prestigious awards, recognizing her excellence in healthcare, leadership, and women empowerment.

3. Prof. (Dr.) Raj Kumar Nayak, Dean at Netaji Subhas University, is a distinguished academician with over 27 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership. A prolific scholar, he has authored 40+ books and 70+ research papers, playing a key role in curriculum development, teacher education reforms, and inspiring the academic community across India.

4. Dr. Simrat Gulati, with over 33 years of experience, is a renowned educator in management and mass communication, having taught at prestigious institutions like IIMC and Jamia Millia Islamia. Known for blending real-world industry insights with academic learning, she also actively contributes to social causes and has served as President of the IIMC Alumni Association.

5. Mrs. Deepali Chavan, Founder & Principal of Sri Adhyayan Preschool Daycare and TTC, is a visionary edupreneur dedicated to shaping young minds and mentoring future educators. Based in Pune, she is known for her holistic approach to early education, skill-based learning, and empowering teachers through professional training programs.

6. Susmita Kumari Rout is a seasoned educator, parenting coach, and administrator with over 16 years of experience in the education sector. Having served as Principal, Director, and Academic Counselor, she is known for her holistic approach to student development and her impactful role in empowering both students and parents through innovative educational practices.

7. Educator Nita Pathak Honored for Excellence in English Education With over 24 years of dedicated teaching experience, Head of English Department Nita Pathak continues to inspire students through innovative learning methods, technology integration, and creative pedagogy. Her remarkable contributions to student development and academic excellence have earned her multiple prestigious awards and recognition in the field of education.

8. Sankar S. Padmanabhan, a dedicated Mentor and Educator with over 10 years of experience, has been making a significant impact in the field of education by guiding students in English, Spoken English, Computer Aptitude, Current Affairs, and Commerce. Known for his commitment to student success, he has helped numerous learners excel in academic and competitive examinations. His outstanding contributions have earned him multiple awards and recognitions 

9. Dr. Manabendra Nayak, Head of the Department of Medicine at Down Town Hospital, Guwahati, and a distinguished postgraduate teacher under NBEMS, has made remarkable contributions to medical education and research with over 75 scientific publications. He has been honored with the “Distinguished Teachers Award” by NBEMS for his excellence in postgraduate teaching, along with numerous international fellowships and recognitions in the field of medicine.

1010. Dr. Swati, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Allahabad, is a dedicated academic and environmental advocate with a Ph.D. in International Environmental Law. She actively promotes awareness through plantation drives, cleanliness campaigns, and social initiatives against child marriage.

— More than 250 on-spot registrations received on the first day

Jaipur, May 27. Taking an important initiative towards guiding the youth of the state to choose their career and connecting them with employment opportunities, Vedanta Foundation successfully organized 'Yuva Rojgar Mela' at Vedanta PG Girls College, Reengus on May 27. The chief guest of the program was Khandela (Sikar), MLA Mr. Subhash Meel. During the program, Principal of Vedanta PG Girls College, Reengus, Prof. Dr. Shubha Sharma, National Coordinator and Administration Head of Vedanta Foundation, Kolkata, Mrs. Sujata Gyan and other dignitaries were present. The objective of this initiative is to make the youth self-reliant by providing them employment opportunities and encourage their active participation in the economic progress of the country.

Appreciating the organisation of the Yuva Rojgar Mela, MLA Khandela (Sikar), Shri Subhash Meel said: "Today, most of the youth are attracted only towards government jobs, whereas there are immense career opportunities in the private sector as well. This initiative by Vedanta Foundation to make the youth aware of the possibilities of the private sector is not only commendable but also the need of the hour. Such efforts make the youth aware and motivate them to become self-reliant and professionally competent."

Giving information about the programme, Prof Dr Shubha Sharma, Principal of Vedanta PG Girls College said: "Rojgar Yuva Mela is the vision of Vedanta Foundation's Trustee Smt Suman Didwania which has been successful due to our collective efforts. This fair is providing a platform to the youth to connect directly with private sector companies and get employment opportunities. In this five-day fair, students will not only be exposed to job options, but they will also be informed about career guidance and industry requirements. Dr Sharma thanked Shri T Ravikrishnan, CEO of Vedanta Foundation."

Many companies like Manpower Consultancy, Vedanta Resources, Rajasthan Digital Tiles, K.V. Corporation, Axis Bank, Era Private Limited, Ox Optic Fiber Limited, Azer Apex Limited, etc. were a part of this job fair and provided job opportunities to the eligible candidates. The companies offered packages of 2.5 LPA for freshers.

This 5-day job fair will run from 27 May to 8 June and will be held at various locations in Jaipur. The fair will recruit for entry level jobs in key sectors like IT, ITES, Banking & Insurance, Retail, Hospitality and Logistics. The minimum educational qualification has been fixed as 10+2. Registration is completely free. This effort of Vedanta Foundation provides an excellent platform to empower the youth and move them towards their dreams.

Upcoming Job Fair Venues and Dates:-

28 May – St. Soldier Public School, Pratap Nagar, Jaipur

30 May – St. Soldier Public School, C-Scheme, Jaipur

31 May – Biyani Group of Colleges, Sector-3, Vidyadhar Nagar, Jaipur

8 June – Rajasthan International Centre, Jhalana Institutional Area, Jaipur

However, over the past decade, it has become increasingly apparent that children, after graduating from schools with high grades, and landing traditionally “secure” jobs across sectors, struggle with cornerstone professional skills like coping with stress, empathetic peer interaction, compassion for self, and resilience.

This discovery, globally, has sparked a conversation on re-envisioning the educational landscape. Why are students finding it difficult to learn? Is it anxiety or a sense of uncertainty about the future? Or is there something more?

Read on for a sit down with Monal Jayaram, Co-founder and Director, School of Education and Systems Change (SOESC) at the Piramal Foundation. In this interview, we explore the approach SOESC has taken to mitigate this crucial gap to achieve transformative results.

Q I.  What are some of the challenges that you see impacting children’s education in India today? 

A: Three questions drive our work at the School of Education & System Change at Piramal School of Leadership. First, why are children unable to read and write despite intense country-wide efforts? Second, will focusing only on reading & writing make children future-ready? And third, how can school systems transform to realize that 21st-century education cannot be delivered through 20th-century thinking, behaviour, and systems? In fact, in one of his speeches, PM Narendra Modi too has made a note of this. 

We work with eight hypotheses built over the last 15 years as to why students aren’t learning. And we realize that it stems from their difficult backgrounds. There is violence, abuse, trauma, and neglect that impact a child, which is called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). Research shows that children affected by ACE have a lower brain functioning capacity, further impacting learning problems. 

Then there is the additional layer of social discrimination based on religion, caste, and gender. Child labour and child marriages are still relevant in India. In pure numbers, as many as 4.35 million children aged between 5 and 14 years are still caught in child labour (Census 2011). Nearly one in five young girls in India is married before they turn 18, often dropping out of school as a result.

As we move towards a Viksit Bharat, we have to understand that Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) is not enough - we have to make a conscious shift towards building 21st-century Competencies. Imagine a school system that enables students to build an entrepreneurial mindset, where their agency and problem-solving skills are nurtured so that tomorrow, they can create jobs for themselves. Most importantly, the underlying factor as we make a shift towards an unprecedented future is to build agency, resilience, and compassion in students.

Q II:  What is unique about SOESC’s approach to addressing these gaps and transforming the education landscape?

A: At the Piramal School of Leadership, our education systems transformation thinking is established in three layers. The first is 21st Century Education which unlocks agency in children and prepares them for the future. The second is Leadership Development and Personal Transformation, which unlocks agency among Middle Managers from government systems; and the third is Organization Development of Government Institutions to transform institutional culture with compassion and Sewa Bhaav.

We have evolved seven potential solutions - Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning), Project-based Learning, Aesthetic Literacy, Physical Literacy, School to Work, Compassionate Gender-transformative Education, and Digital Literacy. Our solutions are integrated into the government system to make a sustainable impact. This happens via processes like assessment reform, scholarship reform, reforms in the State Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT), State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), and District Institute of Educational Training (DIET), process reengineering, and governance reform.

Over the last 15 years, our interventions have demonstrated behavioural change across middle managers and teachers and achieved improvement outcomes in 21st-century competencies, like critical thinking, compassion, and life-long learning. 

Solutions like SEE Learning have shown over 11% improvement in students’ 21st-century competency scores, and solutions like Project-Based Learning have shown over 20% improvement in student performance from middle and secondary schools in Language, Math, and Science. 

Our approach has enabled us to work in 91 districts across eight states. We collaborate with over 200 state institutions, 1.6 lakh schools, 12.5 thousand Middle Managers, and 6.5 lakh teachers to serve approximately 1.2 crore children.

Q III. Why do you think India, particularly Rajasthan, needs SEE Learning today?

A. The world we live in is becoming more dynamic. The ever-evolving technology landscape, the impending climate crisis, and the resulting shift in the job market requirements are making it important to equip adolescents with life skills beyond the academic curriculum. Students today need to be resilient to varying degrees of change. Our National Education Policy 2020 also highlights the importance of SEE Learning for the holistic development of children.

Specifically, in the case of Rajasthan, we have spoken with education authorities who have themselves recognized that early marriage, early pregnancy, and child labor exist despite best efforts. Officials at the centre and state have also shared a deep concern around rising cases of suicide and related mental health concerns, as well as social-emotional well-being among adolescents. I believe the need for something as revolutionary as SEE Learning becomes apparent even more so.

Q IV: Has the status quo changed since SOESC, PSL jumped into action in Rajasthan?

A: There are different signifiers to how our work in Rajasthan has been transformative. If we look at pure numbers, from operating in only one district (Jhunjhunu) in 2019, today we reach 33 districts across the state.

There are also moving stories of transformation. For instance, there’s one of a  14-year-old girl from Chirawa, Rajasthan. Such was her emotional struggle that the inability to express herself resulted in outbursts of anger and isolation. And then, through our SEE Learning intervention, which we did in partnership with the Government of Rajasthan, she was introduced to grounding exercises. Today, she has acquired the tools to identify and express her emotions effectively.

It’s not just students - even teachers, government officials, and the foundation’s staff, who once grappled with emotional pressures, are transformed today. We can see this transformation even at senior levels within the state education ecosystem. For example, Shri Kamalendra Singh Ranawat ji, the Deputy Director of Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT), was feeling quite overwhelmed with his daily routine. Today, however, he’s a trainer for the SEE Learning program in the state, teaching his colleagues how to build emotional resilience.

Q V. What is the way forward now, from here?

A. I can confidently say that the future of SEE Learning now holds higher promise. Through continued collaboration among educators, policymakers, researchers, NGOs, and communities, we are today better placed to create holistic learning environments. I believe it’s essential to recognize that integrating social, emotional, and ethical learning into educational practice is crucial for cultivating responsible, empathetic, and resilient individuals.