Interview by Bhawna Rawat

Mr. Vikram Tomar is currently working as the Deputy Director of Admissions & Outreach at OP Jindal University.

Mr. Vikram Singh Tomar is currently working as the Joint Director (Admissions & Outreach) at O. P. Jindal Global University.

Experience in the education industry

Education is the most pious gift that can be given to the society. India witnesses a huge diversity in Education right from the Primary Education to Secondary Education and finally College / Universities.  Universities’ Education Sector has witnessed a lot of transition in the last 2 decades and with the entering of major Private Universities like B.M. Munjal University/Shiv Nadar University/Ashoka University/O.P. Jindal Global University/Flame University/UPES/ the Education at Higher Level has witnessed a lot of transformation.

There is a huge gap in the mindset of Society when it comes to Higher Education. Parents always drive their children for Private Schools but when it comes to Universities they generally don’t have the same thinking for Private Players and most of them run for State or Government College.

The steps taken by the Central Government and also governing bodies like UGC / MHRD for improving the standards have seen positive outcomes. I urge the controlling authorities to strengthen their efforts for the Primary education and we must remove the Reservation system from Education.

Goals set for O. P. Jindal Global University

JGU is a place where a student can explore all possibilities of Professional and Personality development. The vibrant Campus life, full of positive energy and students coming across almost all the States, make the place Cosmopolitan.

My goals for JGU are very simple – to spread the knowledge about the University across India and in neighbouring countries and guide them with the correct information to help them understand themselves and choose and pick a right career path for themselves.

Suggestions for the current youth and the aspiring students

Change is the only constant in life and henceforth I want to share this with all the students that

For a happy life look for your aptitude first and then choose a preferred course and College

They must always understand that there should be a bridge between their Graduation and their Master’s Degree.

“Consistency” in performance is the key to Success. Marks are not the only factor that drives success. Students of today must focus on their Communication Skills / Personality and Confidence.

The growth of students through placement opportunities available at O. P. Jindal Global University

I firmly believe that Students are the Brand Ambassadors of any good Education Institution

As an Educationist, I have learned that Faculty is the most important pillar in attaining success. Updated Curriculum with good International Collaborations with different Foreign Universities to impart global experience to the students make them stand apart and this helps a lot in Final placements. As a University, we believe in providing the right education and environment that leads to a focused path for Final Placements. The Inter-Disciplinary education system in O.P. Jindal Global University with options to choose free electives from other schools in Law / Public Policy / International Affairs / Journalism imparts right knowledge for overall personality development and understanding of Self.

Read more about placements opportunities available at JGU

Establishing a relationship with the students

Being the face of the Institution, I have this responsibility in a bigger way. My relation with my students in my current and even my past workplaces has been very unique. I am very honest before them and therefore believe in setting their expectations right from Day One. I don’t confine my roles to only Admission profile but rather always make myself available even throughout their stay at the campus. The transition from School to the college/ University life is quite different and therefore students need to understand the time management and focus on healthy competition that will come their way. My students always walk to me whenever they face any academic or non-academic matters and seek for my opinion and also listen to my suggestions with an open mind.

Over a period of time, this has become a habit which seniors have passed on to junior batches that many times, I come across students who make a point to at least visit me once a day even just to say Hello or Good Evening. This is the real award for a teacher who is a role model to shape the new generation.

The path taken to attain the position of the elite

My Journey to this position was quite unique. In my entire span of 16 Years of experience, I spend 15 years in the Education Sector. The best part of being in the Education sector is that you always feel young as you interact with the youngest generation coming out of school every year.

I worked with Universities of Repute like ICFAI Business School, ( UPES ) – University of Petroleum & Energy Studies and JGU (O.P. Jindal Global University). For me every student is unique and hence we cannot judge every student with the same yardstick. I always give my students a free hand to explain their way of looking at Life and Career and then I guide them with my experience and show them the way that would lead them to attain that stage.

As per me, every student is living life in 3 situations (Aabhav – Scarcity/Prabhav—Influencer/Swabhav – Own Belief). Students tend to get carried away very easily with their role models and very few wish to see that hard work needs to be done to be on the Top. The journey of a thousand miles always starts with a single step. Therefore, I also started from the lowest of Job but what made me grow in life is my honesty and commitment towards my work (Students and Parents). On one side, I always mentor my students on ethics and

behaviour and on the other side I counsel parents to sit with their wards and listen what they aspire to be in life and not push their dreams on their children. This makes me closer to them.

Building a positive school culture or climate

Positivity comes with an open mind and pure heart. Students should always be guided towards maintaining ethics, studying not just to score marks but with an aim to always give a helping hand to their classmates. Joint studies are, what I have seen, that gives them more confidence and I specifically encourage my Master's students to impart tutorials to the Undergraduates.

Takes on Education being digitalized

Digitalization in Education brought a revolution in the working of Academic Staff -Teachers / Non-Academic Staff (Admissions / Examinations / Other Support Departments) & students.

Right from finding a college of choice to evaluating the shortlisted colleges, the digitalization has helped students in a big way. The communication process from the college to the students has also got simplified leading to more of accuracy and attention towards students in terms of leading, nurturing and final admission.

The flow of information from Admission communication to final registration got simplified in a big way and students and parents found it much beneficial than the age-old practices of paper-based communication.

Encouraging an Ideal school environment

My Ideal school environment is one where the school management and teachers work together towards building the confidence of students in Public Speaking.

The focus should now shift from marks towards Personality development/communication etc. I see a mad rush of parents and students towards Board percentages and often this leads to depression among students at a later stage. Students should be exposed to a new age of careers and

Students’ Counselling should be made compulsory now

This should further be enhanced by including parents and they must be explained jointly with their ward.