CANDID MOMENTS WITH SH ANIL SWARUP, SECRETARY, EDUCATION, MHRD

Candid MomentsIt is not every day that one gets to meet real-life superheroes. It was truly an honour to not only be felicitated by the Secretary of Education, Sh Anil Swarup, during K.R. Mangalam World School’s Super Scholar Badge celebrations, but also to engage in a candid tête-à-tête with him. Here are some excerpts from the same.

  1. Sir, you have achieved so many milestones in your field of work. What is your success mantra?
  2. The greatest contributor to success is to enjoy every moment of life. I believe it is important to follow your heart and chase your dreams
  3. From an illustrious academic career, to a life dedicated to public service and academic enforcement, do you think that the ‘road not taken’ has impacted your life differently?
  4. I believe that cumulating knowledge has helped me to apply theoretical concepts in practicality and to put things into perspective. One should use simple learning and comprehension to widen one’s mind-set, perspective and horizon.
  5. I recall Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’, which has a particularly inspiring line- “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same”. As a successful individual, sir, how important is it to experience failures, challenges and obstacles in life?
  6. Failure is just a stepping stone towards success and if there is no failure, there is no success. One can achieve success, despite numerous obstacles and failures. I believe whatever one does, it has to be done with perfection be it tying the knot of your tie, combing or polishing your shoes. We have to accept that life is a package deal; success and failure are just parts of it.
  7. Sir, is there any unforgettable moment, or any particular event which you cannot forget?
  8. Whenever, I recall all my achievements, the awards and the medals which have helped me make a difference in someone’s life, I feel satisfied. I remember after implementing the national health insurance scheme, I went to a hospital to see how it was being facilitated, so an old lady met me and told me that she liked the scheme so much that she will tell God that one good thing is definitely happening on earth.
  9. On a lighter note, Sir, is there any particular TV show you like to watch?
  10. (laughs) I don’t watch Television. But yes, I am active on twitter which was being introduced to me by my son. I would recommend everyone to read the Newspaper and watch News.

Interviewed by- Kamya Gupta and Vivaan Madhok