Philosophically speaking, looking back from where one stands today, it would have been difficult to anticipate what they would achieve. Endless obstacles, other national, local, or global issues that lingered; all made it nearly impossible to achieve what we did today. Thanks to human perseverance, curiosity, and determination, we are the most thriving beings of the planet.

However, amidst us there live few humans who follow the aforesaid values with utmost sincerity and have a never-giving up nature. While they strive to thrive in life, they also continuously work towards a purpose bigger than themselves. We call them ‘leaders’.

Now imagine, having such strong leaders at every enclave, especially education. The prominence of such leaders depends on their outlook on education and how they transform everything around them.

Adhering to the same and intending to find such profound educationalists, we landed at Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri Degree College, Gonda. Here, we had the privilege to meet with Dr. Dilip Shukla, Assistant Professor of the college. The below-conversation with him made us understand his outlook on education and how he brings reformation.

Please introduce your field of study, place and current occupation to our readers.

My field of study in Chemistry subject especially Physical Chemistry. My research topic is ‘To Study the changes in electronic structure and softness parameters of the isomers of some Pyridine derivatives with the help of MNDO calculations’. I have completed my research work under the supervision of Dr. P. P. Singh Ex-Principal, Bareilly College, Bareilly and M.L.K.P.G. College, Balarampur. Dr. P. P. Singh is an eminent international fame personality in the field of research and he had played an effective role as a Chairman in ‘International Coordination Chemistry Conference’ Germany in 1976.

How did you become an educational influencer? Was there any role model growing up?

Educational influencer means to lead in the educational field and provide leadership to the education system. Everyone wants to become a leader in their field but it is not possible for anyone. An influencer is one who influences or leads others. In my opinion, a person must have some special qualities to be a leader such as L- lead by example, E- enthusiastic, A-ambitious, D- determined, E- encourage to others, R- ready to learn.

Besides these six characters, I have more than two decades of experience in education field, having fundamental knowledge of the subject, effective voice, dynamic personality and innovative thinking, so I can lead properly in educational field and become an effective educational influencer.

Role Model: There are some important dimensional factors that may be helpful in growing up an educational system. These factors are-

1. Teaching and learning should be innovative, effective and exciting.

2. Excitement and ambition can do everything in the World.

3. Changing the faulty education system.

4. Always ready to learn and teach what I know.

5. Create a good academic leader.

6. First, set a goal to achieve progress in the educational field and then determined about their goal.

How would you describe your teaching style or teaching philosophy?

A teacher is a role model for students. I present myself in a good and pleasant manner in classroom. With fundamental subjective knowledge, I provide them spiritual and life related knowledge which is helpful in their career making and life. I teach the class with deep fundamental knowledge through effective voice. Explain the subject topic with appropriate and valuable examples through which students understand matter easily and are memorable for a long time.

My teaching philosophy is that “To be thought a leader, you need to lead.” If you want to be a successful educational influencer, then you need to provide a valuable education to your students. To do that, you need to discuss regularly the topics that interest them and provide some kind of value.

Tell us about your roles and responsibilities at your Institution. How do you compliment the School’s vision?

My roles and responsibilities at my Institution are:

•  Attributes of an academic leader.
•  Sharing equal responsibilities with teachers, students and staff.
•  Able to create healthy academic environment.
•  Endow with academic as well as administrative acumen.
•  Sound decision makers, have good tact in behaviour and moral character.
•  Regulator and developmental.
•  Act as a motivator whose touch inspires people to do their best.
•  Involving the whole staff in deliberating on goals, belief and vision of the Institution.
•  Encourage teachers to visit one another’s classes and make an unbiased assessment of teaching.
•  Help teachers work smarter by actively seeking different interpretations.
•  Using an action research team or School improvement teams as a way of sharing power.
•  Encouraging teachers to experiment, new ideas and promote creativity and commitment.

According to you How the Indian education system evolved over the years?

We all are aware of how broken the system of education in our country. The Indian education system teaches us by heat learning, it teaches us to blindly memorize whatever is being taught. There is no need to raise questions. In exams, we copy whatever the teacher says or whatever is written in books. Exams are everything. One only focuses on scoring marks irrespective of

whether they understand anything or not. It doesn’t matter whether knowledge increases or not. We have to score marks by any means because these marks define our lives. To score marks all they do is study the whole time. Their hobbies and play times all are forgotten. Their whole life spends in struggling. In this way, pressure is created which later gets converted into depression. As a result some of them commit suicide. But the one who endures it and comes out of it, they realize that the skills needed by them in real life, are never really taught. Creativity, confidence, critical thinking could be useful in real life, aren’t taught by anyone. It is not really their fault because this is what they were taught since childhood that whether they see or read should not be critically analysed.

Instead of it some other things are also to stopped the Indian education system from evolving over the years. They are:-

•  Old syllabus.
•  Old subject.
•  Old case studies.
•  Old management theory.
•  Lack of technological knowledge.
•  Lack of digital internet presentation.
•  Lack of industry knowledge vision.
•  Lack of self- motivation.
•  Unfulfilled requires desires in education.
•  Without understanding, only memorise.

What aspects of your job are the most challenging and how do you overcome that?

The most challenging aspects in my job(educational field) are as-

•  Incompetent faculty in colleges I.e. cheap faculty.
•  Shortage of good faculties in India.
•  To do job like as Robot not with open mind.
•  Teaching with the conventional theoretical classroom.
•  No suitable place for experiment and research.

To overcome these challenges, need to change in education system. For this following amendments are require-

•  Provide better teachers.
•  Enhance teaching method by giving teacher training through latest technology.
•  Promote teaching, Respect Teachers.
•  Government must control the whole education system.
•  Education based on approach and applications, Students are research oriented.
•  Prepare well formed mind not well filled mind.
•  Focus on practical learning, intellectuality, opportunities and creative abilities.
•  Enhanced digital learning awareness.
•  Make local learning groups.
•  Promote courses of open universities.
•  Promote education like Swachh Bharat.

What advice can you give to graduates who seek to become Professors or Lecturers in the field of education?

My advice to graduates who seek to become Professors or Lecturers in the field of education is to first fulfil the essential and desirable qualifications for such posts.

For Lecturers, they must complete the postgraduate degree with above 55℅ marks and then complete the exam of Higher Secondary selection Board. After completing the exam, they will become lecturers of Intermediate colleges.

For being a professor, they must have Postgraduate Degree with above 55℅ marks which are essential qualification for NET and Ph.D. This is compulsory for Professors. After completing NET/Ph.D. they qualify for the exam of Higher Education Service Commission and become Asst. Professor in Degree Colleges and Universities. Based on experiences and their API (Academic Performance Index) they may also become professors in Universities.

To achieve this target, my advice to you is to work hard and with honesty. Be honest about yourself and also work honestly. My best wishes for your bright future.

What lies ahead of you in the Upcoming years?

Rightful education is the milestone of any nation. According to Einstein, “Education is not the learning of facts but learning up mind to think.” Need to change the faulty education system that has become a factory of photocopy machines. We need to teach the children, the skills and qualities needed to become superior human beings who are empathetic, confident, creative, problem solvers, and critical thinkers. The entire curriculum is designed by keeping these qualities and abilities in mind. Otherwise, the following scenarios lie ahead in the upcoming years-

•  Purpose of education only for attaining degree.
•  Education provides serviceman who work like machines.
•  Education is purposeless.
•  India becomes educated but, unemployable nation.
•  Degree without confidence.