Varanasi, 21 March 2026: The Association for Reinventing School Education (ARISE)
convened its Members’ Meeting at Varanasi, bringing together founders and leaders of
progressive schools from across India for two days of strategic dialogue, sectoral
deliberations, and institutional transition. The meeting marked two years of ARISE as an
independent institution and nearly a decade of its collective journey since inception
within FICCI, reflecting the organization’s growing credibility as a unified national
platform for school leaders.
Day One commenced with a Special Address by Dr. Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive
and Secretary, CISCE, who highlighted the transformative potential of collective
leadership in education. ‘’When progressive schools come together with shared purpose
and collective strength, they can transform the school education landscape in
phenomenal ways. Platforms like ARISE enable collaboration and systemic progress that
individual institutions cannot achieve in isolation,” said Dr. Emmanuel.
The engagement was also graced by Dr. Praggya M Singh, Professor & Director
(Academics), CBSE. “Strengthening school education requires a sustained focus on
academic quality, capacity building, and effective implementation at the institutional
level. Interactions with school leaders provide valuable ground-level insights into
classroom realities and emerging needs, which are essential for shaping responsive
academic initiatives,” said Ms. Singh.
There was also representation from international boards including Mr. Mahesh
Balakrishnan, Manager, South Asia, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Mr. Vinay
Sharma, Senior Vice President and Regional Director, South Asia, Cambridge
International Education reflecting the broad spectrum of institutional engagement
across national and global school education frameworks.
The meeting featured expert inputs and structured discussions on leadership
effectiveness, institutional governance, and emerging priorities for the sector.
Day Two focused on ARISE’s forward roadmap, including key initiatives to strengthen
member engagement and knowledge exchange. Members participated in focused
deliberations on Learning & Development and Liberalising the K-12 sector, addressing
leadership capacity building, professional development, regulatory challenges, and
policy priorities to identify actionable advocacy areas for 2026–27. An expert session on
the Decoding of New Labour Codes provided practical guidance on interpretation,
compliance requirements, and operational implications for educational institutions.
A key highlight of the meeting was the Presidential Baton Passing Ceremony, during which
the new Company Board, Governing Body and State Councils for FY 2026–27 were
announced. The newly constituted State Councils for the year FY 2026-27 are as follows:
Andhra Pradesh: Chair — M. Padma Subrahmanyam; Co-Chair — Mahadev
Vasireddy
• Assam: Chair — Nellie Ahmed
• Bihar: Chair — Mrigya Singh
• Gujarat: Chair — Kavish Gadia; Co-Chair — Kush Dinesh Sakaria
• Haryana: Chair — Aditi Misra; Co-Chair — Yash Prakash
• Jammu & Kashmir: Chair — Nandan Kuthiala
• Karnataka: Chair — Srinivas Kumar Chalasani
• Madhya Pradesh: Chair — Siddharth Singh Girnar
• Maharashtra: Chair — Irshad Patel; Co-Chair — Shailesh Dalmia
• New Delhi: Chair — Rahul Aggarwal; Co-Chair — Jyoti Arora
• Odisha: Chair — Dr. Silpi Sahoo
• Punjab: Chair — Manjot Dhillon; Co-Chair — Robin Aggarwal
• Chandigarh: Chair — Gurpreet Bakshi
• Rajasthan: Chair — Ragini Kachhwaha; Co-Chair — Deepak Sharma
• Uttar Pradesh: Chair — Shalini Singh; Co-Chair — Saifi Khwaja Yunus
• Uttarakhand: Chair — Bharat Goyal; Co-Chair — Manoj Kumar Khera
• Telangana: Chair — Meghana Jupally; Co-Chair — Satya Datla
• Tamil Nadu: Chair — Vikram Ramakrishnan; Co-Chair — R. J. Thayumanaswamy
• West Bengal: Chair — Pradip Kumar Agarwal
• Kerala: Chair — Rajesh George Kulangara
These councils will play a critical role in strengthening ARISE’s state-level engagement,
regional initiatives, and policy dialogue across the country.
Outgoing President Mr. Praveen Raju, Founder, Suchitra Academy and Sagebrook
International School, Hyderabad, reflected on ARISE’s institutional growth. “Over the
past two years as an independent institution, ARISE has grown significantly —
institutionally, structurally, and in membership — emerging as a credible and unified
national platform for progressive school leaders. The trust and spirit of collaboration
among members remain the foundation of this journey,” he said.
President-Elect Dr. Arunabh Singh, Director, Nehru World School & Co-founder, Heathy
Planet TGA emphasized continuity and forward momentum. ‘’ARISE represents the
collective voice of progressive schools across the country. Going forward, our focus will
be on strengthening collaboration, advancing policy engagement, and building future-
ready institutions that place students at the centre,” he stated.
The ceremony also recognized members for their contributions to ARISE initiatives,
The Members’ Meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening
collaboration, advancing reform-oriented dialogue, and shaping the future of school education in India
