CEO & MD
part of Vidyamandir Classes (VMC)
Puneet Jhingan, CEO & MD, Attain Education – part of Vidyamandir Classes (VMC), in an interaction with Elets News Network (ENN) shares about VMC’s unique proposition, major initiatives, future vision and much more
The name of Vidyamandir Classes (VMC) has become synonymous with success in IITJEE. What factors went into making of this success?
VMC has been creating success for students in IIT preparation for over 25 years now. Our success is founded in the success of our students. While there can be many different ways, one way to paraphrase the mantra of success can be Aptitude, Attitude and Hard Work. We have to identify, encourage, nurture and sharpen each one of these attributes in our students and in ourselves.
At the outset, we ensure that we attract, engage, prepare and retain the best faculties. VMC was founded and is still being hands-on operated by the Gupta brothers: Brij Mohan, Shyam Mohan and ManMohan, all IIT Delhi Alumnus, and the principles of their success, which then became the foundation of success for thousands of aspirants after them, are still assiduously followed at VMC.
Our students are a part of us. We are mindful that they have come to us with lots of hopes and aspirations. We ensure that the environment of the institute and the treatment to our students is as if they are a part of our family.
We have a rigorous admission process for aspirants. Our National Admission Test is carefully designed to attract and fi lter the right aptitude for IIT. For many, success and ranking in this test has become a reliable indicator of eventual success.
The right Attitude-of-Success is important. After admission, students go through an induction process, which spells out the principles of success for them and lays out the direction and path to success. The students are explained the desired values and culture they should inculcate, and how they should structure their goals, intervening milestones and daily routines.
VMC’s study material, method of teaching, assessment and corrective follow-up are crucial factors. Our study material, assessment pattern and analysis system are known to be among the best in the industry. The resultant student ranking is a fairly good indicator of eventual success for the students.
The education paradigms are changing. How has Vidyamandir adapted to the changing times?
IIT graduates are among the best in the world. They will be looked up to, to solve the problems of the world of tomorrow. As nobody cannot imagine the world of tomorrow, those problems also will be very different. Therefore, the students must learn to be agile in their thinking, innovative in their approach, dexterous in their treatment and intense in their focus. The evolving paradigm of selection endeavours to refl ect the same. That is why, teaching and learning for IIT and other competitive exams is a different ball-game altogether.
We are mindful of ourselves as well as our conduct and are constantly scanning the environment for cues and clues to improve our ecosystem (environment, faculty, study material, course-coverage, teaching-standards, assessments, analysis, remediation, feedback-mechanism etc) to equip our students to face the challenges – not only of the exams but also of the world of tomorrow.
Attain Education is the part of VMC that has established 50+ VSAT centers as part of their outreach programme. We have doubled the number of centers in the last two years
What are the major initiatives in IT and education technology undertaken by Vidyamandir to enhance the learning experience?
in education delivery, especially to students with constraints of time and travel. Vidyamandir has been using VSAT technology for over fi ve years now, to spread the fruits of its labour to students, even in the remotest corners of India. Attain Education is the part of VMC that has established 50+ VSAT centers as part of their outreach programme. We have doubled the number of centers in the last two years.
What is your vision for the institution for next three years?
Our mission is PCM: Prepare-Connect- Mentor. Foremost, is to prepare students for success. Success has to become a habit, and be pursued like a habit. The sooner this is ingrained into student’s mind and every-day conduct, the easier it becomes for them to achieve their long-term potential. For this, we have to start early like the Gurukuls of earlier times, and challenge students to direct and channelise themselves. With the right goals, right desires and right direction, they start choosing the right behaviours and habits all by themselves.
As we double our presence in the next two years, we will partner with schools. In fact, be inside schools.
Through our VSAT system, we can bring country’s best faculty inside the school classroom, within the school time and deliver the best teaching, in a live and interactive manner. The sessions are auto-recorded and schools can review them whenever they want.
Our LMS-enabled pre-learning modules and pre-learning assessments allow the child to get prepared beforehand for the sessions, real-time quizzes during sessions keep the sessions alive; and timely post-work assessments help in review, feedback and remediation. All of this is carefully recorded and reported to the school teachers.
In all, we seek to develop our teaching methodology such that it fi ts the student’s needs like a glove, so that the entire process becomes simple, lucid and effortless.
How do you compare the education scenario in India with that of other countries (especially the UAE)?
Indian education system is quite rigorous and challenging. Many UAE students desire to pursue higher studies in India, and to that extent they should be clued into the patterns and behaviour of Indian education system and Indian students. Technology and telecom have effectively eliminated geographical barriers in many ways and even in this case it is possible for UAE students to study and prepare with and alongside the best minds in India. For instance, it is possible to partner with schools to establish InSchool or AfterSchool centers for students to be a part of the same sessions that are being delivered to students in India. In this way, they can get the same facilities and treatment as if they would in India. Our test series and correspondence programmes are in any case available globally.
