I was born in a small scenic town in the state of Assam; however, I had to relocate to Mathura because of my father’s job at IOCL. I was fortunate enough to spend my entire childhood in this religious place on the banks of the Yamuna, which interestingly still retains an old-world charm. I was a focussed student who secured the first position from the school till my SSC examinations. I returned to my native state, Assam for pursuing my graduation and post-graduation in English from one of the most premier institutes of the state-Cotton College, established way back in 1901. I secured the second position with honours from the Gauhati University and took up a short stint as a ‘Part time Translator’ (Hindi-English) in the “Directorate of Census Operation”, Assam, Under the Govt. of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. This assignment propelled me to take up a postgraduate diploma course in Hindi-English translation.

One of the best opportunities I got in life was when I could accompany my family to London, where I stayed for more than a year. I must consider myself to be very lucky that I could visit Shakespeare’s birth place-Stratford-upon-Avon, and William Wordsworth’s birth place – Cockermouth in England – a dream come true for every student of English Literature. After visiting the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre, I could associate the things I learned during my graduation and post-graduation to my heart’s content. Visits to the neighbouring countries like France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland further gave me insights into the varied nature of European culture. Seeing the exhaustive nature of school education in London, I pursued B.Ed. course in India, so that I get a chance to incorporate the learnings from my experiences. On completion of this degree, I relocated to Navi Mumbai when I got the opportunity to be a faculty member at Vidyalankar in 2016.

For me, learning is a two-way process and I believe that it is not only students who can learn from teachers. It is this very drive, that aided the timely completion of my research studies as a Ph.D. Scholar in an inter-disciplinary field from Mumbai University. On completion of my Ph.D, I have developed various skills which help me in adapting innovative ways of integrating the critical thinking skills of the engineering students with their communication and interpersonal skills.

For the engineering students on the campus, along with their technical acumen, it is essential to inculcate professional soft skills to help them to express their ideas with confidence and clarity. Occasionally there arises a need to import external expertise so that students are well-prepared with the requirements of the corporate world. As the Ex-Convenor of VIT’s Literary Council and as part of Holistic Domain, I had organized various activities so that students enjoy their association with different forms of literature and enhance their creativity. Further, my recent success in mentoring the students in cracking national level competitions like the Hackathon has given me immense pleasure and satisfaction in sharing the joyous moments with the students.

Since the early stages of my childhood, the best friends that have always accompanied me are my books. I relish the journey of teaching and learning as I continually strive to be a self-motivated educationist with a desire to serve the best interests of students.