Rustom Kerawalla, Chairman, Vibgyor High Group of Schools

Where would you place education on your national list of priorities?
Among my top three priorities together with infrastructure development and medical care.

How best to upgrade government schools?
They should be given to private sector educationists on an upgrade/operate/transfer model.

Thinker/philosopher you admire most. Chanakya.

Your favourite Nobel laureate. Albert Einstein.

Your leadership style.
Hands on. I am involved in every small detail relating to the quality of education in our schools.

Your favourite book on leadership.
Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

For or against the RTE Act mandating 25 percent reservation for underprivileged children in private schools?
Nobody is asking the fundamental questions viz., ‘Who will pay for it?’; ‘Can private schools assume the additional financial burden?’; ‘Do private schools have adequate infrastructure and resources to maintain quality with this additional burden?’.

Should education outlay be doubled by cutting defence expenditure?
Good governance, cutting wasteful and non-productive expenditure, ending political freebies and judicious application of resources, are better options.   

How satisfied are you with the growth of Vibgyor schools?
While we have achieved much in the past decade, there is a whole lot more that needs to be done to attain our mission. 

Pessimistic or optimistic about the future of Indian education?
While the challenges seem insurmountable, change is the only constant in the universe. Therefore, I look to the future with hope that the nation will  change for the better.  

Also read: 50 Leaders who can revive Indian education – Rustom Kerawalla