Jesus Lall
Chairman & CEO, Universal Education, Mumbai
Where would you place education on your national list of priorities?
In the Top 3, if not at the pinnacle. Education is the compass of the nation™s future.

How best to upgrade government colleges?
Government must not police quantity of students, set curriculums, or prescribe quotas. It should only supervise learning outcomes and common entrance exams which guarantee excellent quality of students.

Thinker/philosopher you admire the most.
Our religious and philosophical books teach us some great ways to live, and I find their wisdom perennial.

Your favourite Nobel laureate.
I especially appreciate all those who have made our lives better through research and breakthroughs in medicine.

Your leadership style.
Driven by trust and mutual respect to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.

Your favourite book on education.
I have yet to find a favourite.
For or against the RTE Act™s 25 percent reservation for underprivileged children in private schools?
I™m for upliftment of government schools so children from all sections of society should want to go to them for quality education.

Should the education outlay be doubled by cutting defence expenditure?
Compared to any developed nation, we spend too little on education. We need to spend a lot more to be able to improve learning outcomes across the board.

How satisfied are you with the growth and development of Universal Education Group?
If we rest on our laurels, it will spell the beginning of the end for Universal.

Pessimistic or optimistic about the future of education in India?
Optimistic. To be optimistic is to vote for life.