Professional Experience:
I am a senior education leader with 35 years of experience driving large-scale public education reforms, system strengthening, teacher professional development, and governance transformation across Madhya Pradesh. My career spans leadership roles in the School Education Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and a significant tenure with UNICEF, giving me a unique blend of government systems expertise, development-sector experience, and deep field understanding.
As Additional Director in the School Education Department, I led some of the state’s most significant education reforms. I established and operationalised the Vidya Samiksha Kendra, enabling real-time data dashboards, tele-calling verification systems, and evidence-based governance. I also set up the State Assessment Cell, strengthened assessment frameworks, and promoted data-driven academic planning. I played a central role in launching and scaling Mission Ankur (NIPUN Bharat – Foundational Literacy and Numeracy), leading teacher training, academic mentoring, learning outcome tracking, and district/block capacity strengthening. My work improved programme delivery across diverse socio-economic and geographic contexts, impacting more than 300,000 teachers and 9.7 million students.
Earlier, as UNICEF’s State Coordinator (Monitoring), I oversaw the monitoring of education programmes across multiple districts, facilitated field verification, designed feedback loops, strengthened reporting systems, and supported implementation of quality-improvement initiatives. I worked closely with government departments, district administrations, teacher educators, and development partners, ensuring programme fidelity and on-ground support to teachers and school leaders. This role deepened my understanding of results-based management, multi-stakeholder coordination, and government partnerships.
Across various roles—Joint Director (School Education), Joint Director (Directorate of Public Instruction), District Project Coordinator (DPEP), and State Coordinator (SSA)—I have led teacher training systems, decentralised planning, programme monitoring, classroom practice improvement, and institutional capacity building. I have designed and delivered interventions for academic mentoring, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), school leadership development, inclusive education, community mobilization, and girls’ education.
My experience includes managing flagship programmes supported by the World Bank, European Commission, UNICEF, and national missions such as DPEP, SSA, RMSA, Samagra Shiksha, PM SHRI, and NIPUN Bharat. I have designed Annual Work Plans for over two decades, drafted policies and vision documents, and conducted evaluations and action research. I have trained teachers, Anganwadi Workers, district/block officials, DIET faculty, SMC/PTA members, and other frontline functionaries.
Throughout my career, I have operated at the intersection of policy, programme design, field execution, and monitoring. I bring strong competencies in data analysis, problem solving, academic design, capacity building, team leadership, and field-driven implementation. I have demonstrated an ability to work effectively in resource-constrained contexts, strengthen government systems, mobilize stakeholders, and drive measurable improvements in access, equity, and learning outcomes.
My professional journey reflects a deep commitment to improving public education systems and creating sustainable, scalable impact for every child, especially the most marginalized.