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ARISE Mentor & Advisor

Anil Swarup

Anil Swarup
Founder Chairman, Nexus of Good; Former Secretary, School Education (2016–18) & Coal (2014–16), Government of India

Mr. Swarup is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer with a distinguished career in public service. Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, he earned a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Allahabad University in 1978, where he was awarded the Chancellor’s Gold Medal for Best All-Round Student. After initially qualifying for the Indian Police Service in 1980, he joined the IAS in 1981 and was honored with the Director’s Gold Medal for Best Officer Trainee at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. Throughout his career, Mr. Swarup held key positions at both the state (Uttar Pradesh) and central government levels. As Director General in the Ministry of Labour, he designed and implemented the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, one of India’s largest health insurance schemes for the underprivileged, notable for its paperless, portable, and smart card-based system recognized by UN organizations. Later, as Secretary in the Ministry of Coal, he managed the aftermath of the coal scam, demonstrating exemplary leadership and integrity. He also served as Secretary of School Education and Literacy, where he championed public-private partnerships to enhance the quality of school education. A strategic thinker and innovative leader, Mr. Swarup has received numerous accolades, including being named a “Policy Change Agent” by The Economic Times in 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016, and being recognized as one of the 35 “Action Heroes” by India Today.

Founder Chairman, Nexus of Good; Former Secretary, School Education (2016–18) & Coal (2014–16), Government of India

ARISE Fellows

G. Balasubramanian

G. Balasubramanian
Former Director, CBSE

G. Balasubramanian is a renowned thought leader in Indian school education, best known for his visionary leadership and transformative contributions during his tenure at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), where he served in various capacities, including Director (Academics) and Chief Vigilance Officer.

Starting his career as a postgraduate teacher in Chemistry, he later became the Principal of Hindu Senior Secondary School, Chennai. In 1984, he joined CBSE and led several path-breaking academic reforms. He was the architect behind innovations such as the Frontline Curriculum, the Communicative Approach to Language Teaching, the introduction of Information Technology, Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Fashion Studies, Disaster Management, Life Skills Education, and Alternatives to Homework. He has been a vocal advocate of stress-free education and pioneered initiatives to promote it across the school system.

Former Director, CBSE
Inder Mohan Singh

Inder Mohan Singh
Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas

Inder Mohan Singh is a Partner with the Firm, specializing in Mergers & Acquisitions and corporate matters. He has extensive experience in business acquisitions, divestitures, and restructuring, including amalgamations, demergers, and re-organizations, advising on both on-shore and off-shore corporate structures.

He has significant expertise in the automobile sector, especially in acquisitions, hiving-off of businesses, technology licensing, and distribution networks. Inder has also played a key advisory role for several leading players in the education sector, assisting in transaction structuring and share acquisitions. His broader sectoral experience includes cement, media, entertainment, and energy solutions.

He has advised notable clients such as Eicher Motors, VE Commercial Vehicles, Dharampal Satyapal, NIIT Group, HCL Technologies, Nord Anglia Education, Thapar and Shiv Nadar Universities, HT Media, Apollo Tyres, and Dalmia Cements, among others.

Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas
Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Surendra Kulkarni

Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Surendra Kulkarni
Former Director Mayo College Ajmer

Lt Gen Surendra Kulkarni is an accomplished leader who served in the Indian Army for nearly four decades, beginning his distinguished career when he was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in 1975. For his exceptional contributions to the Armed Forces, he was honored with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, the highest peacetime distinguished service award, by the President of India.

Parallel to his Army career, he has pursued his academic interests. He is an economics graduate from Fergusson College Pune. He was a post graduate UGC Merit scholar before he joined the Army. He has four Masters Degrees including an M Phil degree. He would be one of the few officers to have been sent abroad thrice on academic assignments. He has taught at the Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmadnagar, Institute of Armament Technology, Pune and the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

Former Director Mayo College Ajmer
Amitabh Jhingan

Amitabh Jhingan
Partner, Education Strategy Practice and Global Education Sector Leader, EY-Parthenon India

Amitabh is a Partner in the EY Parthenon Education Strategy Practice and is the Global Education Sector Leader at EY. He has over 25 years of Strategy, Transaction Advisory and Consulting experience with over 15 years of Education sector experience across Global Markets. He has also worked in Operating roles in the K12 and Higher Education segments with large Education providers during his career.

Amitabh has worked on over 200 Strategy, Commercial diligence, Market and Growth Assessment, and Performance improvement projects in the Education Sector across India, Southeast Asia, China, Australia, MENA, Africa, UK and US markets over the course of his career. He has worked on a number of transformative government programs in education and skilling, helped conceptualize and set up a number of marquee institutions which are helping transform the human capital dimension across countries to support their economic aspirations and served clients looking to enhance and improve the financial efficiency of the education sector. He has been closely involved with the evolution of the Edtech Sector and supported many edtech companies develop their global expansion plans. Amitabh has been involved with many large Investments in the Education Sector and has worked closely with the investee companies in accelerating growth and driving value creation. Amitabh has served a wide range of clients across the public and private sector which include Investors, Governments, Foundations, Multilateral Funding Organizations, Private Operators, Universities and large Corporates. He has worked across every major sub-segment within Education including a number of ancillary segments such as Student Financing and Education Infrastructure. Amitabh is a regular speaker at Industry events and has published a number of reports and thought pieces on the Education and Higher Education Sector and regularly participates in policy discussions relating to the Education sector.
As the Global Education Sector Leader at EY, Amitabh is supporting in Building a better Working World by leveraging the extensive global expertise within the firm to expand the firms footprint in the Education sector and deliver greater impact and value for every learner across the world.

Partner, Education Strategy Practice and Global Education Sector Leader, EY-Parthenon India
Abha Adams

Abha Adams,
Director, Ahvaan Education Foundation

Abha Adams, an innovative educationist with 40+ years in Education, Media, and Arts Management in India and the UK. Former Director of the Shri Ram Schools and Adviser to Step by Step School Noida, she founded major educational institutions. As Director of the Ahvaan Education Foundation, she collaborates on policy and strategy for upgrading government schools. Author of “Parenting in the Age of Anxiety,” her book is widely acclaimed.

Director, Ahvaan Education Foundation

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