Redefining Education Through the Agastya Foundation with Adhirath Sethi
On this episode of “Game Changers,” we delve into the true essence of education with Adhirath Sethi, a board member of the Agastya Foundation. This organization is revolutionizing the way education is perceived, delivered, and embraced, particularly in a country where a significant portion of the population forms the backbone of the workforce.
True education transcends textbook learning. It is about igniting curiosity, fostering innovation, and nurturing a love for knowledge in young, impressionable minds. Traditional education methods often fall short of inspiring creativity and critical thinking, elements that are crucial for developing well-rounded individuals.
The Agastya Foundation is at the forefront of this educational transformation. They emphasize experiential learning, encouraging children to explore, question, and engage with the world around them. This approach not only builds a solid knowledge base but also cultivates a mindset geared towards problem-solving and continuous learning.
Join us in this enlightening conversation with Adhirath Sethi as we explore the groundbreaking initiatives of the Agastya Foundation. Discover how their work is reshaping the future of education in India and why it is essential to “catch them young” to foster a generation of innovative thinkers.
Tune in to gain insights into the necessity of a holistic educational approach and how it can transform lives and communities.
Produced by Global Indian Series for the Global Indian Network.
Script by Rajan Nazran
original idea: Rajan Nazran
Introduction music: (Music credit: https://freesound.org/people/TheoJT/sounds/569783/)
About Adhirath Sethi
Adhirath Sethi, a Bangalore-based businessman and author, is a product of prestigious educational institutions. His journey began at The Rishi Valley School, followed by Eton College, and culminated at the London School of Economics. These academic experiences laid the foundation for his future endeavours. After a successful tenure as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group, he ventured into entrepreneurship in 2008. As the Director and CEO of Poly Fluoro Ltd, he spearheaded the company’s growth, expanding its operations and establishing it as a leading manufacturer in the high-performance polymers sector.
His first book – The Debt Collector’s Due – was published by HarperCollins in 2015 and draws on his own experiences with hiring debt collectors to recover funds for his business. The book has presently been optioned for being made into a mini-series. His second book – Where the Hills Hide Their Secrets – published in 2019 – is set in post-colonial India, where the murder of a local woman sends secrets and scandals spilling out of the woodwork across the fictitious hill-station town of Nalanoor. He has recently finished a third work of fiction – Searching for Saanvi. It is a love story, wrapped in an adventure, wrapped in the coming-of-age saga of a young man who falls in love with a girl when he is 10 years old, only to spend the next 15 years looking for her after she mysteriously disappears. In 2019, to commemorate Agastya’s two decades since inception, a proposal was put forth to capture the story of the foundation’s remarkable journey.
The advent of COVID meant that this plan was temporarily put on hold. However, in 2021, the idea was revived, and Adhirath Sethi offered his time to bring the book to life. He spent the first half of 2022 interviewing anyone with insights into Agastya. Speaking with everyone from front-line workers to donors, board members, and senior management, the inside story of Agastya began to emerge. The Moving of Mountains is thus infused with the distilled learnings from thought leaders, captains of industry, staff, and the founders themselves. As a board member of the Agastya Foundation and as Chairman of the Navam Foundation, Adhirath Sethi’s involvement in the NGO space spans over 10 years and includes contributions to fundraising, operations management, and strategy.
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