Catalyst for Change

A renowned educationist, an eloquent writer and speaker, who's proving to be a catalyst for change in the society as a social entrepreneur, Captain (Dr) Dinisha Bhardwaj Singh, has held noteworthy positions in various prestigious educational institutions across the world. She is currently the heading the renowned Global Indian International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, since 2019. A recipient of various prestigious awards such as Rashtra Vibhushan, Women Achievers Award and being part of the Association of Indian Principals, she has her sights set on bringing about sustainable change in the society through innovation in the field of education. In an exclusive interview with Corporate Citizen, Captain (Dr) Dinisha Bhardwaj Singh, takes us through her career in the uniform, her vision, passions, family and her transition to the civil education sector.

"When you are a part of the Army, you are trained to perform any role, in any capacity. Being a part of AEC, I was connected to education at all times"

Corporate Citizen: What was your inspiration behind joining the Armed Forces?

Captain (Dr) Dinisha Bhardwaj Singh: I always wanted to do something different. There was a TV serial by the name, "Udaan", which is the story of a girl in the police uniform. That inspired me to don the uniform and become a police officer because till then, there was no women officer's entry in the Indian Armed Forces. The Journey of my career was to begin after my exams, but then, just before my exams, an advertisement about the institution of women's entry into the Armed Forces caught my attention. The only dissuading factor, however, was that there was no Permanent Commission for women.

CC: Speaking of Permanent Commission, it has been recently introduced for women officers. What is your take on this landmark decision?

It has come around a bit too late, but it is certainly going to benefit the women officers of today. Had the decision been introduced earlier, I would have been a Colonel, or perhaps approved for the rank of Brigadier. Notwithstanding that, I am proud of my rank of Captain. After completing ten years in the Army it was time for me to say good bye to uniform as there was no policy of extension till then. It took me some time to think of the career route to follow next.

CC: Why did you want to be an educationist?

I was in the Army Educational Corps (AEC). When you are a part of the Army, you are trained to perform any role, in any capacity. Being a part of AEC, I was connected to education at all times. I was also associated with schools for administrative purposes. I had four or five schools under me wherever I was posted. After my service in uniform, I supported organizations raising schools. Destiny took its turn and my husband was posted to Shillong. I did my PhD in education from NEHU on scholarship. It was then that an Army friend told me that they needed a principal for a school. When we moved to Indore, this became a major career path for me and that's how I joined direct school operations.

CC: You have been a part some very adventurous Operations while you were in the Army.

I have been a part of Operation Rakshak and Operation Vijay in J&K. Operation Prakram was when the Parliament attack happened, I was posted in Punjab then. All these roles were very challenging and exciting. Especially Kashmir, because I was part of a mobile brigade where I got to see active areas like Baramulla, Uri Sector, Ghantamulla, Singhpura, BB Cantt and Khreuh. It was quite challenging and satisfying too. I was the sole in-charge for safety and security of the rear garrison till I joined brigade in forward move. It all sounds very exciting once we narrate, as you thank almighty for every new day under such circumstances. Life is the only appraisal after every operation besides satisfaction of serving the motherland.

"I have been a part of Operation Rakshak and Operation Vijay in J&K. Operation Prakram was when the Parliament attack happened, I was posted in Punjab then. All these roles were very challenging"

CC: How different is Education in the Army Educational Corps from the sector in civvy (civil) street?

Both are very different with each having its own extreme challenges. The major difference is in terms of level of leadership; in the civvy street its more of an individual-to-individual relationship whereas in the Army its multi-faceted. There is a great level of discipline in army which is blurred outside. The challenges are of a different level; your decisions can cost lives in the Army. Being in civvies arena is a battle in a different scenario. In the Army you get trained for anticipating and planning to tackle any situation, because once you have planned for the worst to be won over, nothing can surprise you then.

I keep telling my team that I come from an organisation where a good appraisal is when you come back without getting anyone killed. Incentive is not always monetary or a promotion. Sometimes, it's just doing something for a cause and feeling good about it.

CC: What are some values that you imbibed in the military that you carried forward to the civvy street?

In the Army generally a subordinate will never counter a senior unless it is a drastic thing. Whereas in civil street you have to convert all nays into ayes. I enforced that discipline on myself for setting an example in front of everyone. Whatever I do in my position should be substantial and solid. I have taken my team as my responsibility, just as an officer is responsible towards everyone under him when they go to war. I boldly stand up and say that I'm there with you. You. But unless you are in the wrong, you are safe and sound. You will be taken care of because the bullet will cross me first before it comes to you.

Another thing about the Army that I have carried forward is the family like bonding that you foster with your compatriots. The routine, mundane and often quotidian work culture can be optimised by considering your team as your family. Half the conflicts will get washed off when you upgrade your transactional relationships to more cohesive connections.

CC: You served in the Armed Forces for a decade. How difficult or easy was it for you to adjust in an entirely new atmosphere and did you get any cultural shocks when you made the transition?

The life lesson here is to lie still in troubled waters to survive and to start swimming when the water flows in your favour. Army has taught me that and it helps me to adjust anywhere. I can comfortably sit in a seven star and enjoy or and I can sit down at the roadside and eat. This situational leadership which I learnt in the army has been very helpful in the civil sector.

CC: Since you're from the AEC, what changes do you think this particular corps of the army can implement or get inspired from the civil education world?

AEC aligns to special needs for armed forces personnel so there is no comparison to civvies street. Yes a parallel responsibility of AEC is Army schools where the progress and changes happening in civil street are always adapted and nurtured. They too are participating in various nurturing conferences at various levels, CBSE interactions and all.

CC: What can the civil education sector learn from the AEC?

Firstly, what the civil education system should learn from AEC is a well-defined approach. Everybody knows what improvements we need in the educational sector but where we lack is implementation. The civil education system needs to learn the three steps of conceptualization, application and progression, the way we do it in the army. We need to harness our intrinsic strengths before we harbour dreams of the global system of education. There's no point criticising without go-getters approach aligned to a positive outcome.

"I keep telling my team that I come from an organisation where a good appraisal is when you come back without getting anyone killed. Incentive is not always monetary or a promotion"

CC: Could you share your experiences in education sector when you were working with National Education Regional Institute (NERIE) in Shillong?

This is a part of NCERT. I was associated there as a scholar from the university where I was doing my Ph.D. I was invited for training teachers and principals. I was called for Nagaland board syllabus review, board syllabus review, book review etc. I was also entrusted with developing the educator's leadership manual. It took me more than two years to complete all these tasks, with constant interactions and seminars at local, regional and national levels.

I was part of the constituting body for those seminars. It was exciting and that nurtured me a lot as an educator. My army background and the military attitude was very beneficial to them. On the other hand, this platform was very beneficial to me as it launched me into the thick of civil education.

CC: Since you have worked both in education sector of India as well as Malaysia, what is the difference in the education standards between the two?

I have worked not only in India and Malaysia, I've also closely worked with our chain of schools in the UAE, Singapore and Japan. As far as school education is concerned, the difference is in the curricula. All these places have different curricula like CBSE, IB, IGSCE A level and O level. The major difference which I find compared to the Indian curriculum or even handling of international curriculum in India is more of content and concept.

Here we talk more about content building, content recapitulation, content producing, content on paper, whereas in other curricula we find emphasis on concept in terms of concept building, concept generation. Let's take teaching poetry as an example. In Indian scenario, we will focus on who was the poet, what was the gist of the poem? We teach about exactly what we read. Whereas in the International scenario, you discuss conceptual things with the students, like "Had you been the poet what would you have written in this context?" or "What is your take-away from the poem?", "How will you recreate this form in your own thought process?". Various countries have different levels. Like in Malaysia we deal with students from almost 13 different nationalities in our school. So, somewhere we nurture what is expected in other countries here in Malaysia and somewhere we fulfil the requirements of CBSE because we have two curricula here, CBSC and IGCSE. In Japan again focus is more on concepts. UAE has their own ideologies to be added along with conduct of various curricula. We are getting same changes in India too with NEP coming in.

CC: You are also an accomplished social entrepreneur. Tell us about your journey in social entrepreneurship.

Social entrepreneurship is my love and passion. I endeavour to connect whatever I do with social entrepreneurship. Right now, honestly, I'm on the aspect of giving my view wherever I go. I'm connected with various organisations, few in Malaysia and now few in Indore, one in Shillong and one in Delhi. And then through these organizations, I am supporting them with whatever I have and whatever they need to build the social structure, to strengthen the social fabric. If my words make a difference, I use my speech as a tool or a medium, while some situations call for a more proactive approach. Of course, for the last two years I have not been able to travel and do anything physically, but wherever possible, virtual meetings do take place.

I have recently become part of an organization in the US where they are dealing with supporting sustainable development goals of the UN. And I'm an active member of that. I was a participant in an organization in Africa, where I need to contribute towards environmental support, being a social entrepreneur as a supporter of SDG, how to take care of mother Earth. For the last two years, I'm able to give only virtual support with my online presence, but before that I was able to travel and do my bit. Depending upon the requirement, I have even travelled at my own expense to do my bit. It was a simply enjoyable soup for the soul.

"Firstly, if a woman wants to join the Army, you must have springs under your feet. Be ready to accept challenges and enjoy. And the second thing is, once you are in, you are the star and an example for others"

Capt Dinisha Bhardwaj Singh with daughter
Aeshana, now 19

CC: Speaking of the career change, how rewarding has the search transition been for you from the military to an entirely different sector?

Destiny rewards you in two ways, first is your ecstasy of success and the second is how much your absence is felt and how much you are in demand. How would it have been the other way round if I had continued in the Army? I am not sure, but what I'm sure about is that I've been enjoying the same status out here. Right now, it's quite satisfying to me, satisfying as a professional educationist and as a social entrepreneur, and more so beyond everything as a human being. It is quite rewarding and the recognition is that when people need me at various levels and they find out about me and connect with me and call me to contribute. That is the biggest satisfaction.

There is a certain level of commitment that goes with my work. For instance, on a number of occasions, I've received requests from organizations across the globe to support in some activity or to nurture certain organization socially or to speak on a particular issue. For example, it is a 12 hours gap between Malaysia and The US time zones. Whereas it was around afternoon in the US, I had to stay awake till late at night in Malaysia while participating in these campaigns in the US simply for my passion to contribute. So, when you are desired for your qualities and regarded with respect, that is the biggest satisfaction. And I feel humbled and thankful to God that despite starting my journey of second innings as educationist after army service when I was 30 plus, I could attain the level I am at right now.

CC: What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to come back to India and join the education sector?

Yes, ultimately my destiny is connected to India. I'm here because my organization wanted me to be, and the circumstances were such that my husband was posted to the field area. So, it didn't matter where I stayed. We both are professionals and respect our career standing either way. I would love to contribute my learning, my exposure, my experience which I have gained here and in various countries. I am a very active member of CBSE also. I have written some manuals with them. My passion is to give back to the society, irrespective of where I am.

CC: You are also quite into adventure. You like paragliding and trekking. How do you make time for these activities?

Having a love for adventure activities is my inheritance from Armed Forces. Being in Army, I have done multiple trekking ,70 Km white water rafting from Dev Prayag to Rishikesh, Rock climbing and rappling course, Powerless Paragliding, Camel expedition, bike and Car expedition, Horse riding etc. I love to do it whenever I get a chance or an opportunity, because that gives a different thrill, a thrill of conquering something.

CC: Please tell us about your family.

My family consists of my husband and two daughters. My husband is an officer in the paramilitary force posted in Chhattisgarh area right now. My elder daughter Aeshana who is 20 years old and studying Law in India. And my younger daughter Aadya is in 8th standard. She's with me here at Malaysia. Both are doing well in their fields. The elder one is a great orator and writer besides being a scholar and social worker. She is also doing para legal work supporting people, giving free law advice to people through an NGO. The younger one owns a YouTube channel. She's also onto the social entrepreneurship bandwagon and supporting people through her Motivational series, guiding old people how to use zoom. She runs a series called The Human Book where she interviews people. She's also walking on the same path with her interests and her technical stint.

"Firstly, if a woman wants to join the Army, you must have springs under your feet. Be ready to accept challenges and enjoy. And the second thing is, once you are in, you are the star and an example for others"

CC: What three pieces of advice would you like to give any woman officer who is looking to firstly, join the Army and then secondly to transition from military to corporate sector?

Firstly, if a woman wants to join the Army, you must have springs under your feet. Be ready to accept challenges and enjoy. And the second thing is, once you are in, you are the star and an example for others. So, be that example. Live that example because it is easier said than done. Living that example is difficult.

The third thing is one which I strongly believe in. I have seen and I have read and interacted with Mrs Kiran Bedi during my first posting in Indian Military Academy. She visited there after receiving the Magsaysay award, she quoted something from her book I Dare. She said, "A man gets accepted and proves himself for any work. Whereas a woman, first proves herself and then gets accepted". So, this gap of proving and getting accepted should not shake you from your determination. Be confident, calm and composed, but because you are proving yourself that you have that mettle, you will prove yourself. Nothing will pull you back.

So, these are the three advices for those who are joining or are desiring to join the armed forces. Now for all those who are planning to leave the military to join the corporate sector. What you learn about situational leadership, you can apply in in civil street. People can be disciplined. The application of discipline has to start with you, and third thing is that people look at you as a strong leader when you come from military to corporate. The name carries on that you are an officer, many people still call me Captain. They don't even call me by my name. if somebody misses Captain, I tell them that don't forget to add Captain. That is my earning. So, with that you know you can stand tall with your identity. Live that identity and make sure that you are able to support people with that strength and identity. So, these are the three individual messages to all those who are joining military and those who are coming from military to corporate.

In nutshell, you are the one who designs your life whether in military or in civvies street. If you are upright and adaptable, success and glory ultimately will be yours. Just treat the world the way you want to be treated.