“Rather than being a product of your circumstances, become a product of your decisions,” says Mr. P. K. Jain for motivating the students

Interview by Yash Panchal

Mr. P. K. Jain is currently working as the Chairman of Vidya Knowledge Park.

Education is what leads us to discover our inherent perfection

Swami Vivekananda once said “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in a man,” so, we are here to discover that perfection in our students and prepare them for life by inculcating the values, beliefs and morals which will ultimately lead them to the path to success and a brighter future.

According to me, a man without education is like a building without its foundation. That is how much indispensable education is. In order to succeed, you need to educate yourself. Imagine a world where everyone is uneducated. We would perhaps never have worn clothes or eaten delicious food. Possibly, we would be walking around in the forest and climbing mountains, hunting for wild animals for flesh accompanied by leaves, roots and fruits. In the current times, the Indian education industry is poised for growth, and the government is taking measures to boost the sector and enhance the quality of education. With that being said it is indeed a privilege to be a part of such a dynamic industry.

I have been associated with the industry for more than three decades and it feels good to see the transition from the root of the industry, taking education from the books and rote learning, to the technology-oriented courses with more of applied learning and re-engineering the whole system.  Ever Learning & Ever-Changing Industry playing such a pivotal role and impacting millions of life makes the education industry the best industry to work.

The best leaders have several leadership styles for several situations

Each one of us has our own personal leadership style, wherein we blend the leadership traits in our own way. The best leaders don’t know just one style of leadership, they’re skilled at several and have the flexibility to switch between styles as the circumstances dictate. Before you are a leader it’s about you, your work, and your goals but once you are a leader it’s about growing others, it’s about empowering others. 

All of us, at Vidya Knowledge Park, share a singular vision, “imparting quality education” and this vision cannot be materialized singularly. I have always respected people, irrespective of their status, and shared their concerns. I don’t like exercising authority, and I firmly believe in creating more leaders and you can very well see that in our functioning. I am more of a result driven individual, focusing more on the destination and end results and therefore we have empowered the heads of the various institutions and given them the autonomy to channelize resource to drive success.

Facing and overcoming challenges is a part of the journey which will lead to the ultimate win

When you are a part of such a huge industry, which is advancing at an astronomical pace, there are a lot of challenges that come your way. But the beauty lies in the fact as to how effectively you face the challenges and emerge as a winner. The Bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity.

As our roots lie in Meerut, the gap in the technical & verbal competency of the students is a major challenge that we have faced in the past few years. With diverse educational backgrounds, family atmosphere, cultural diversity and upbringing, it is difficult to bring them on a single platform and deliver a content that can add value to everybody’s lives but our faculties have done that impressively.

The next major challenge is making our students at par with their competitions from Tier One Cities and developing the skillsets which are quintessential for being a winner in life. To address this issue, we have specialized Job Skill Module which makes our students future-ready.

Another big challenge, I perceived as the forerunner of the organization is the missing set of values and integrity in young India. Fifty per cent of our population is youth and their lies the future of our generations. As I see the incremental cases of suicide, depression, acid attacks, I believe lack of spiritual values and a feeble training to handle adversity as the root cause behind it. At Vidya, we impart and inculcate those values and discipline in our students, that they are ready to face the hardships of life whenever they step out in the real world. I can vouch for the fact, with my experience & learnings from life, that you can never go wrong outside if you are strong from inside. In order to be a winner in life, you ought to have these values else you will be left behind.

We are delivering learning lessons beyond curriculum since the inception of students

We are a value-driven organization. We blend our values with the most sought-after corporate attributes. Teaching & the curriculum is not just restricted to the four walls of the classrooms. Our teaching modules are driven by practicality and modern industry focused capsules. We have been able to achieve all this due to the contribution and the efforts of our brilliant teaching fraternity, modern pedagogy, and frequent interactions with the officials from the industry. Our faculties are research-driven and have diversified knowledge in their respective fields hailing from their diverse exposure from the Industry and Academia.

With a wide variety of top companies visiting the campus and interacting with the students, each visit brings something new to learn and ponder about the changing corporate trends. Through this continuous stimulation, in addition to the regular classroom sessions packaged in various pedagogies ranging from powerpoint, role plays, case studies, group discussions, field visits and more, we inculcate the basic and add-on skills in our students. We are delivering learning beyond curriculum from the day of inception to the day of their outgrowth and refining them to the best possible manifestation within the limited span of time we have with them.

Our special Job Skill Module (JSM) works for the overall personality development for the students

Life at Vidya is full of enthusiasm, zeal and confidence for the students. We have immense placement opportunities with some of the big names coming to the campus for pool campus drive. With each drive, our students undergo a specialized company-centric module that adds on to the growth of the students.

Our students have always been a go-getter and we further magnify their potential. With our intensive industry interactions, our students get a practical exposure of the real-time corporate world outside the campus. To further boost their skills and making the maximum out of placement opportunities at the campus, we have designed a special Job Skill Module (JSM), where our team works on the soft skills, personality, aptitude and verbal ability of the student.

We further have rigorous Industry-Academia Interaction (IAI), Vidya Innovation Incubation Centre (VIIC), Toastmaster’s Club, and AIISEC, where the students unleash their creativity and their thoughts are channelized in the right direction. With innovation & entrepreneurial driven activities, in addition to placements opportunities, we make sure we provide our students with the foundation to make the best out of life.

Read more about placements opportunities available at Vidya Knowledge Park

Formal Students’ council meetings and personal interactions are necessary for building a bond with students

The young generations today, need a chance to introspect themselves and require guidance rather than directions onto the path to success and development. Being the chairman, I feel it is my responsibility to enlighten them with the correct path and share the wisdom of my experience with them. I am open to conversations and my doors are always open to suggestions & feedbacks.

Building a connection requires time, efforts and patience and unlike the fast and moving young generation, thankfully I am from the times where I have been bestowed with all these three virtues.

Apart from the informal interactions, we have formal students’ council meetings wherein the representatives of students voice out their minds and I am informed as to where their brains are heading. Encouraging suggestions and feedbacks create a much needed congenial environment in the campus and not just me, my team of intellectuals is also all ears to the concerns of our students.

Students get mentors who are like ‘academic parents’ through the mentorship programme

I visualize Vidya as a temple of learning, where we ignite the young minds to create wonders for the nation and the world. I want to create students with the modern thought process and at the same time inculcated with strong values that make them unshakable to withstand the storms & challenges of life. The youth today is energetic, creative, outspoken, dynamic and bold, all they need is the constructive channelization of their energies.

At Vidya, we leave no stone unturned to provide a harmonious environment favourable for raising good citizens where modernity blends with traditions. We have unearthed a gem in the form of a Mentorship programme where our faculties take this responsibility of nurturing young minds. Our faculties take the role of ‘academic parent’ and this process helps us in maintaining a cordial relationship between the teacher and the student.

Goal of becoming a pioneer in providing quality education

“The thirst for knowledge is never quenched”, so is mine. I want Vidya to emerge as a leading institution in the belt. We have been ranked by the leading organizations in the industry but there is more to accomplish. Our vision for Vidya is to set benchmarks in terms of curriculum, environment, student’s quality, placements, pedagogies and the list is endless.

In the coming years, I want Vidya to become an undisputed pioneer in providing quality education and opportunities for life. A hub for the intellectuals wherein the genesis of brilliant concept arise. At the same time, I want to inculcate rich Indian culture, heritage, moral values, ethos and traditions in our students so that our alumni become an epitome who can stand the test of time.

Suggestion for the students to succeed without losing their values

Dream big, be confident. In this life, you have to be your own hero, rather than the victim of your circumstances be a product of your decisions. In this maddening rat race to succeed in life, don’t lose onto your values as ultimately they will be the prominent driving forces in your life.