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Q & A with 1000 Spotlights

In September 2023, the website 1000spotlights.com featured an interview with me. Republishing it here: What’s an urgent issue facing education? It's the issue of relevance. If you take a step back and look at both what is being taught in our schools today and how it is taught - I’m talking about India in particular but much of it holds good across the globe - you’ll realize that both these aspects have fundamentally remained the same over the past many decades. During these decades, the world has changed significantly, many times over. The challenges and threats that we face today are very different from what it has ever been in the past. Hence logically, the response that you need to counter these challenges and threats also have to be very different. Our schools, barring a few exceptions, have failed to recognize and embrace this shift and continue to operate on an early 20th century model of education. We are required to spend a major part of our first 20 years in schools. It
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Twenty Years - Twenty Insights

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Last year, soon after completing 20 years in the social sector, I had written a series of 4 articles on LinkedIn called "20 Years, 20 Insights". I'm immensely thankful to all those who gave me their feedback, comments, and appreciation. Now, I'm glad to share these articles in the form of this easy-to-read-and-share compilation; a chronicle of my key learnings in the sector. 20 Years - 20 Insights
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READY FOR TOMORROW: The Future of Work

The future of work is not too far from today. A comprehensive strategy focused on employability and employment generation is a must to ensure a smooth transition for our workforce . By Chetan Kapoor The true beauty of India lies in its diversity. I have been working in the social sector for over two decades and have had the privilege of closely viewing many Indias within one India.   There is an India that closely follows, if not leads, global trends of innovation and upskilling. It is an India with a workforce that is highly aspirational, well-educated, efficient and professional — a workforce that can give its competitors a run for their money on any given day. In this India, workers are compensated quite well, live in clean and safe environments and have access to quality infrastructure and healthcare. The other India has a far bigger workforce. These people toil every day, sometimes even without a break or food for long hours, and mostly get very little for what they do. With
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Transitioning into the Development Sector? Here’s What To Keep in Mind

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Image Source: " crossroads " by  Laenulfean  is licensed under  CC BY-SA 2.0 . With experience spanning 25 years at a leading Indian conglomerate behind her, Vasudha Narasimhan was all set to scale greater heights in her professional career. Having graduated from a premier B-school in 1995, her CV included international assignments and several accolades that had come her way over the years. She was also managing her personal obligations well, with her daughter currently enrolled in medical school. And then, a few months after her 50 th  birthday, Vasudha decided to give up her well-paying job for one where she would be paid a pittance in comparison, at an NGO working for children’s education. ~~~ Vasudha’s is not an isolated example. T here are many like her, who at a similar stage in their careers have chosen to transition to the social development sector, with the sole objective of seeking a higher purpose in life. This trend has taken a significant turn with the pand
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