I was fortunate enough to grow up in Mumbai in a joint family in the affectionate company of my maternal grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. As a child I enjoyed spending time with friends; even my Jr. KG teacher wrote in my report card, which is preserved till date, “Happy child. Likes to make friends”. Being the eldest among all cousins, I took up the responsibility of teaching them and helping them with their studies; it is here that the seeds of teaching were sown. I joined the Science stream and further went on to pursue Engineering. I developed a keen interest in various subjects of Computer Engineering. I enjoyed studying as well as chilling with my friends.

After graduation I decided to pursue my career as a teacher in 1999, and made a humble beginning as a Lecturer in engineering college. Later, I joined Vidyalankar Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Technology. As a teacher, I firmly believe that I should have a passion for the subject being taught, only then I can motivate the learners, harness their creativity, and guide them in the proper direction. I always make it a point to reach out to every student in the class. The subjects that interest me the most are Database Management Systems, Advanced Databases, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Image Processing. Though I demand meticulous work from my students, they find in me an amicable mentor. It gives me immense motivation and a feeling of fulfillment when I see my students performing well academically and eventually excelling in their careers.

For my contributions to the student community I was awarded “Teaching Students Excellence Award-2015” by the Lions Club International Association. My students have deployed projects for TIFR, and IIT Bombay, Virtual Labs. My project on ‘News Source Analysis using Modeling and Classification of Tweets’ was awarded a Minor Research Grant from the University of Mumbai. I also like to take part in co & extracurricular activities with students. It was an interesting experience to have delivered introductory talks at TEDxVIT.

I feel encouraged by the appreciation I have received from various quarters, which is attributed to positive outcomes, administrative skills and my dedication towards work. I believe in hard work. It has helped me in achieving higher positions, from a faculty member, Head of the Department and then Vice-Principal of the Institute. With the motto of “Students First“, Vidyalankar has always motivated me to pursue excellence, continuously strive for the betterment of students, and has given me a platform to explore and hone my technical as well as administrative skills. I have always enjoyed guiding and working with my team in achieving our Institute’s goals. In addition to the Institute’s administration, I have also handled responsibilities like Counselor for CDAC Courses, Academic Counselor for IGNOU BCA, Distance Education, University of Mumbai. Currently, I am pursuing my Doctoral studies in Geoinformatics from VIT.

Every interaction is an opportunity to learn from all around us. I tell my students to follow the formula of LIFE (Love towards work, Integrity, Faith in one’s abilities, Ethics) that will always take them on the path of success. A strong believer in the statement “Learning Never Stops”, I invite students to embark on the exciting journey of life-long learning.