Page 54 - Education World September 2021

People

students and 25 teachers on its mus-
ter rolls. But his more ambitious and
innovative initiative is PEA, which
he believes can release the huge
latent sports and games potential of
the world’s largest child and youth
population.
Direct talk. “PEA’s solution is to offer
class VI-X children the option of a
stripped down curriculum compris-
ing core subjects such as English,
science and maths, and several elec-
tives with NIOS (National Institute
of Open Schooling) certification. PEA
is India’s first online school which
gives children intent on making ca-
reers in sports and games, plenty of
time to focus on sports training and
practice,” explains Rao.
Mahesh Rao (left) & Sardesai: established proof of concept Future plans. With all the wrinkles of
the PEA’s online education delivery
Budding champions educator programme ironed out at TSGA, Rao

is optimistic this model will enable
hundreds of thousands, if not mil-
AHESH RAO is the energetic who almost won a bronze in the To- lions, of primary-secondary students
promoter-director of the kyo Olympics, 2020. Moreover, with to invest sufficient time for devel-
MBengaluru (aka Bangalore)- proof of concept now established oping their competitive sports and
based Prose Education Academy Pvt. in TSGA, Rao is set to sign similar games skills and intelligences. “If the
Ltd (PEA, estb.2017). This company online academic learning agreements now tested PEA-TSGA model is rep-
provides online academic education with several other sports — including licated countrywide, India which has
to class VI-XII children enrolled in cricket — academies mushrooming a huge pool of high-potential sports
sports academies across the coun- countrywide. champions will take its right place
try. Its prime objective is to provide History. A commerce graduate of among the world’s sporting nations
“necessary academic education” to Bombay University, the Jewellery and bring home many more Olympic
children aged 11-18 intent upon mak- Institute, Rhode Island, USA and medals,” says Rao.
ing careers in international sports Kaizen Institute, Tokyo, Rao started It’s a consummation devoutly to
arenas and playing fields. his business career in 1981 in Mum- be wished!
Newspeg. In 2017, PEA signed bai and is former promoter-director Dilip Thakore (Bengaluru)
an agreement with the Kolar of the Bengaluru-based Peakok
(Karnataka)-based TSG Academy Jewellery Pvt. Ltd (estb.1991). The DVM chief
(TSGA), promoted in 2018 by na- company quickly established the
tionally renowned golf coach Tarun Carbon brand of affordably-priced executive
Sardesai, and described as “India’s jewellery whose USP (unique sales
first professional golf, sports science proposition) was based on “design
and educational institution driven rather than intrinsic value of gems R. ROSETTA WILLIAMS is
by a singular training and learning and stones”. the Delhi-based CEO of the
philosophy”. After a highly successful run of DDalmia Vidya Mandir (DVM,
TSGA is a co-ed day-cum-board- 21 years (1991-2012), Rao exited estb.1924) chain of eight schools pro-
ing golf academy with a current the gems and jewellery business to moted by the Dalmia Bharat Group
enrolment of 40 students. Among “heed his inner voice” to venture of cement, sugar and refractory
them: Aryan Roopanand, winner of into education. The first initiative companies (annual revenue: Rs.1,210
the National Amateur Champion- in his new vocation was the K-10 crore). Currently, the CBSE-affiliated
ship 2019 and record holder, Viraj CBSE-affiliated Excel Public School, Dalmia Vidya Mandir schools edu-
Madappa, youngest Indian to win the Hootagalli, Mysuru aka Mysore cate an aggregate 15,000 students in
Asian Tour 2018 and Aditi Ashok, (estb.2018) which currently has 450 six states (Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil

54 EDUCATIONWORLD SEPTEMBER 2021