How the Journey Began
The UN Sustainable Development (SDG) Goal 4 aims to ensure ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’. In India, the Right to Education Act 2009, the National Policy on Education, the National Curriculum Framework and Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan are among the few policy documents which have shaped the course of education in the country. While we are close to achieving the goal of universal education, we cannot neglect the disconnects prevalent within the mainstream system that sowed the seeds of Muktangan.
Our founding trustee had one question in mind “Is it possible to create a learning environment for both children and teachers? ”It is with this question that the “Muktangan model” was developed to demonstrate the best practices in education through an inclusive, student and teacher friendly, community-based system within mainstream schooling. Since its inception in 2003, Muktangan has now grown into a unique model delivering holistic education to over 4000+ children from underserved educational communities, livelihood opportunities to 800+ community members through our pre-service teacher education programme and employment opportunities to 600+ teachers and teacher educators in the 7 Muktangan run Municipal schools in Mumbai. Our ‘total schools’ approach’ provides holistic learning keeping in mind 21st century skills which are so essential for young learners of today. We are also working in partnership with various stakeholders in urban and rural areas as knowledge partners to deliver integrated solutions to education. Through our outreach projects, we have reached out to and impacted 75000+ children and 5000+ teachers and teacher educators.
To create an inclusive and an empowered world that enables everyone to live in harmony with a right to freedom of expression, respect and with integrity
To encourage and support communities, through networking, to reflect and evolve sustainable, learner-friendly, holistic educational programs, drawing on the learnings of the ever-upgrading Muktangan model
We believe in Critical and Independent Thinking, Respect, Openness to Change, Reflectiveness, Equity
The spirit of our community engagement goes way back to the beginning of our journey. The name “Muktangan” was coined by the first batch of 8 community members who were trained as pre-primary teachers. This name beautifully encapsulates our core value “Freedom in the aangan” symbolizing that every individual- child, teacher or teacher educator can flourish and widen their horizons within the comfort and security of the institution.
Zarin has inhabited the world of education for over three decades as a teacher, teacher trainer and head of school. Starting her career with the NGO, ‘Parisar Asha’, helped her understand the concerns of education for socio-economically challenged communities, in urban and rural settings. She has been the editor of a newsletter called ‘Classroom’ as well as co-ordinated conferences for educators as part of the education core team of the global movement, ‘Initiatives of Change’. Armed with a M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Sheffield, U.K., she writes poetry, short stories and novels. Her first book, ‘Gopal’s Gully’ was published by Duckbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House [India]. Building human connections with teachers and students as well as nurturing critical thinking remain her abiding passions.
Mr. Sridhar Ramachandran, is a management strategy specialist and comes with over 30 years of significant experience in general and financial management of companies across Asia and Africa. Currently, he serves as Advisor of India Nivesh Renaissance Fund. He represents the fund as nominee director in listed and unlisted companies. In addition, he is also on the advisory board of DAA Consulting and Mentor my Board. He has held leadership positions in different roles including, Alpen Capital, Cadila Pharma, Brescon Corporate Advisors, Pioneer Embroideries, SKD Group (Hong Kong), Texmcao-Polysindo Group (Indonesia, South Africa & Botswana), Utexrwa (Rwanda). During his career spanning over three decades, he has successfully turned around few companies, worked with many visionary entrepreneurs, and interacted with more than thousand promoters across various sectors and consulted many companies on strategy, M&A, Debt restructuring and other areas that helped him to gain tremendous experience. His first book “End of Saamba Dance”, a business and a financial thriller fiction quickly rose to popularity in the business and financial community and won the Best Author’s Award 2021 by Navi Mumbai Chamber of Business & Industries. He speaks at various industry forums on Strategy, Finance and Governance areas. Sridhar is a qualified Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, CPA from Colorado State, USA and a Commerce Graduate from Madras University.
A philanthropist actively associated with a large number of social causes. Shalini began her career in social work with the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic in Los Angeles in 1969 following a Master’s Degree in Social Work form the University Southern California in 1967. She has been associated with the Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work as a Professor of Social Work Methodology and Human Development & Growth and has acted a student Counsellor at Elphinstone College for four years after. Shalini is a Co- Founder of the Global Hunger project – India where she volunteered fulltime as a liaison and key fundraiser for the project between 1979 to 1990. Today she continues to impact a number of Social Causes through Dasra. Shalini is an ardent follower of the Advaita philosophy and passionate about classical Indian music. During her personal time, she enjoys traveling with her husband Mr. Kishore Mariwala while interacting with diverse cultures.
An educationist by profession, Ms. Vijaya Chauhan is a retired Programme Officer in charge of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) at UNICEF and continues to advice on educational issues at a national Level. At Muktangan, Ms. Chauhan advises and actively participates in the Teacher Education Programme.
An engaged philanthropist and deeply committed to the social sector, Maithili is passionate about progressive education, healthcare and vulnerable child care. Maithili attended Brown University for her undergraduate degree after which she worked on Wall Street in New York, as a commodities trader for Morgan Stanley. She received her post-graduate degree from the London School of Economics before returning home. Maithili has had a successful career in the art world as Director and India Country Head of Sotheby’s, the global auction house. Maithili is a founder member of Ashoka University, and also serves on the India Advisory Board of Brown University and the South Asian Art Council at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has two young children with her husband, Shashank Singh.
Rajan is a veteran of the Indian internet industry with experience in retail internet and business services spanning two decades. He is the Co-founder and Managing Director of Nirvana Venture Advisors and was previously associated as a Venture Partner with Clearstone Venture Advisors (Indian Advisory of Clearstone Venture Partners) before which he also served as country head for Ebay India. He has been an active member of the governing council of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) and chaired the Federation of Indian 4 Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) E-Business committee in 2007. Additionally, Rajan also serves on the boards of Billdesk, Games2Win and Cartrade amongst other businesses and is on the Advisory Board of the Praja Foundation, Mumbai.
Currently serving as Managing Director of KAYMO Fastener Company, Vivek has been a part of the business for 34 years! He is a teaching faculty at Moral Re-Armament (MRA) and Initiatives for Change International (IofC) and is regularly invited to present at business groups on topics related to Value Sustainability for Companies and Building Ethical and Competitive Organizations. Vivek currently serves on the Boards of three Non-Profits IofC, Praja and Toy Bank as well as the advisory committee of Annamrita (ISKON Food Relief)
Mr. Rajesh Narain Gupta is a practicing lawyer for over three decades. He is the Managing Partner at SNG & Partners, Advocates & Solicitors, a full-service law firm with its presence in Singapore, Mumbai and Delhi. His area of specialization includes Banking and Finance, Commercial Laws, Real Estate and Private Client practice. He is an advisor to a number of foreign and Indian Banks, Financial Institutions, Corporate and Industrial Houses, Real Estate players. He has authored and edited several books on Banking Laws and regularly contributes 5 to leading papers and journals. He is and has been on boards of listed and unlisted companies as an Independent Director; and is also member advisory board of few corporate houses, Alternate Investment Funds and NGOs. He is member of Investment Council of one of the largest real estate funds. He is regularly advising well-known families and UHNIs on issues related to estate and succession planning.
Supriya completed her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in 1988 and after some years in the consulting sector, pivoted to her true calling by becoming a high school teacher in 2005. In the last 17 years, she has been instrumental in setting up international curriculums for three schools in Mumbai. She played a key role in setting up the IBDP at Jamnabai Narsee School (2005–2007). Subsequently, at Dhirubhai Ambani International School (2007–2013), she worked in teaching and several leadership roles. She is passionate about innovative practices in curriculum design, instruction and pedagogy including virtual learning and assessment. Her favourite theme is empowerment through professional development of staff. She keeps herself updated by participating in international education conventions, seminars and paper presentations.
Previously a teacher of Language and Social Studies at the Bombay International School, Dymphena holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Education. Dymphena connected with Muktangan’s Founder Liz Mehta during their time as co-students at the B.Ed. She has been associated with Muktangan for over 20+ years, as a teacher trainer for English proficiency and later as Department Leader for Social Studies. Today Dymphena heads the programmatic aspect of Muktangan and is deeply involved with Program Sustainability.
Fulfilling the role of Director HR and Administration, Mr. Satose over a career spanning 35+ years associated with the Paragon Group acts as primary liaison with the local MCGM authorities. At the Muktangan Education Trust, he oversees all HR maintenance functions, Muktangan schools’ administration and programme logistics
Muktangan’s Founder Trustee-Mrs.Elizabeth Mehta, was awarded The Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2015 in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List, for her exemplary work in education through the years and for setting up the Muktangan Schools Network in Mumbai, India.
We were felicitated in 2019 for 'Quality Teacher Development' by The Reliance Foundation and the Center for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA) at the launch of CENTA's 5th Annual Teaching Professionals Olympiad.
Awarded India’s most committed NGO working in the space of Early Childhood Development (ECA-India-2014)
Platinum Seal award winner awarded by GuideStar India, 2021
Rated as one of India’s Top 10 NGOs to work for, by Great places to work (2015)