Deepak Madhok, Chairman, Sunbeam Eduserve

Deepak Madhok, Chairman, Sunbeam group of educational institutions & Sunbeam Eduserve, Varanasi

Where would you place education on your national list of priorities?
Education is the most important development priority of the nation. It is the only hope for resolving the complex problems confronting India.

How best to upgrade government schools?
Motivate and discipline teachers to curb teacher absenteeism.

Thinker/philosopher you admire most.
Albert Einstein

Your favourite Nobel laureate.
Albert Einstein

Your leadership style.
Take charge, no compromises. Be a role model!

Your favourite book on leadership.
Many, but at present Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Good to Great by Jim Collins.

For or against the RTE Act mandating 25 percent reservation for underprivileged children in private schools?
I am against government passing the buck of society upliftment to private, financially independent schools. Populist political leaders should appreciate the great efforts of private edupreneurs who have turned Indian education upside down in the last decade, and made it a force to be reckoned with worldwide.

Should education outlay be doubled by cutting defence expenditure?
No. I believe 70 percent of the current annual outlay for education is being wasted. The education bureaucracy is one of the most corrupt in the country.

How satisfied are you with the growth and development of the Sunbeam Group?
I am very happy and proud of the achievements of the Sunbeam Group, which has risen in the sacred city of Varanasi and has transformed into a beacon of light for almost 20,000 students in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Pessimistic or optimistic about Indian education?
Always optimistic. Indian education has the potential for shaking the foundations of the western world.