Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Free Press conducted an evaluation round of Indore's most honest and no-ranking survey FREE PRESS SCHOOL SURVEY 2024. The evaluation meeting was held at city's Sayaji Hotel on Friday .

The Jury admired the Free Press for the idea to table the most transparent and fair survey. This landmark survey is designed not to rank schools but to highlight excellence across various categories, offering a comprehensive view of the strengths of schools in different zones.

The survey, which initially targeted schools in Indore, Ujjain, Mhow, and Dewas, has been expanded to include schools from surrounding suburbs due to overwhelming interest. It encompasses both government and private schools, regardless of board affiliation, ensuring a wide and inclusive representation.

Free Press is committed to fairness and transparency, focusing on showcasing ‘outstanding’ schools without creating a hierarchical ranking. This approach has been met with tremendous enthusiasm from the local education community. Schools in Indore have rallied behind this initiative, driven by a shared goal of helping parents make informed decisions about their children’s education.

Meet our esteemed jury, featuring a diverse group of accomplished individuals. Arshit Gautam represents Free Press, bringing his expertise in journalism and media. Rohit Jain, from the innovative start-up YouVah, adds a fresh perspective on entrepreneurship. Sonal Sisodia contributes her insights from DCBM, while Mir Ranjan Negi, a celebrated Olympian and hockey coach known for his role in the iconic film "Chak De India," infuses a spirit of sportsmanship. Jayant Sonwalkar, a renowned educationist, emphasizes the importance of learning and development, and MPS Chawla, a senior professor from SGSITS, rounds out the panel with his academic prowess. Together, they embody a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Meet our jury

Dr. Sonal Sisodiya 

Dr. Sonal Sisodia is the Principal of Daly College of Business Management Indore. She is an MBA (Gold Medalist) and PhD in Management from Ajmer University. She has over two decades of experience in mentoring graduate and post graduate students, engaging in quality research, conducting and handling MDPs and consultancy assignments. 

She is an Independent Director with Sava HealthCare, Pune. Dr Sisodia is a certified PCM (Professional certified marketer) trainer of American Management Association as well as a trainer for the  Smart Girl programme. She is member, Board of Studies, Pondicherry University. Her articles feature regularly in leading dailies.

Her area of expertise is Communication Skills, Strategic Planning and Marketing, Leadership Development, Conflict Resolution, Shared Culture, Learning Organization, Outcome based learning, etc.

Dr Jayant Sonwalkar 

Dr. Sonwalkar is a leading expert, evangelist, educationalist, technologist, and leader in management science and practice, distinguished by his unique blend of corporate and academic leadership experience. He has passionately worked to enhance education through strong pedagogical models and the latest educational technologies in universities and colleges both in India and abroad. His expertise extends beyond teaching to include video conferencing, online teaching, the use of technology to reach large audiences, and consulting, as well as creating, launching, and marketing service products, helping organizations expand from national to international levels. With a total of 40 years of experience—35 years in academia, 20 years in academic administration, and 5 years in industry—Dr. Sonwalkar brings a wealth of knowledge to the field. 

Mir Ranjan Negi

Mr. Mir Ranjan Negi is a former goalie for the men’s national field hockey team of India. Mir Ranjan Negi plays field hockey. He served as the goalie in the game against Pakistan, which forever changed the course of his life. Mir Ranjan Singh Negi was born in 1958 and raised in the Uttarakhand’s state Almora. He had an early interest in hockey.

After years of neglect, Negi made a successful comeback to hockey as a coach for the men’s team before moving on to the women’s squad. Mir served as the national field hockey team’s coach for India in 1998, a year in which the Indians won. He served as the goalkeeping coach for the team that won the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and served as an assistant coach for the squad that won the 2004 Asia Cup.

CHAK DE INDIA

The movie “Chak De India” was based on his life. It is believed that Mir Ranjan Negi inspired Shah Rukh Khan’s character of Kabir. Additionally, Negi took part in Shah Rukh Khan’s physical preparation for the movie. As a result, Negi gained notoriety and popularity in the media and entertainment industry.

In collaboration with the choreographer Marischa Fernandes, Mir Ranjan Negi joined the Jhalak Dikhla Jaa for its second season. He advanced to the show’s semifinals. He was the only participant who did not come from the world of movies and television. However, many were stunned by how he advanced to the episode’s semifinals. He claimed that his participation in “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 2” was motivated by his desire to establish a hockey academy in memory of his son, who passed away tragically at the age of 19 from an accident. Also, in the Garhwali film Suberau Ghaam he could be seen as a officer.

Rohit Jain 

"Before founding YouVah, I worked as an IT project manager at MoreYeahs Inc. and ConsultAdd Inc., managing various projects for US and UK clients using MERN, MEAN, SharePoint, and Salesforce technologies. I was responsible for defining project scope, goals, and deliverables, ensuring on-time and quality delivery, facilitating communication across project teams, and developing project plans for all phases of the project life cycle.

"I also leveraged my experience in supporting business functional components, preparing use cases, and bridging the communication gap between IT teams and stakeholders. I hold a bachelor's degree from Acropolis Institutions and have a demonstrated history of working in the IT, non-profit, and management industries. My skills include project management, IT strategy, business analysis, and agile methodologies. I am a self-motivated enthusiast, always eager to learn new things and tackle new challenges."

MPS Chawla 

Mr. Manendra Pal Singh Chawla is an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department, with a distinguished career spanning 32 years. He holds a Master’s degree in Power Electronics from DAVV/SGSITS and has published extensively on topics including signal processing, advanced control systems, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. His research interests focus on enhancing power quality and ECG analysis techniques. Chawla has contributed to numerous national and international conferences and journals, serving in editorial roles and as a keynote speaker. His expertise is complemented by his active involvement in workshops and seminars, reflecting a commitment to advancing educational practices and technologies in engineering.

Arshit Gautam

Mr. Arshit Gautam represents Free Press, bringing his expertise in journalism and media.