‘BSG for SDG’ Sustainable Newsletter | Issue 25 | September 2025

In 1999, I entered academia at the age of 42, joining Delhi’s first five-year integrated law programme as an Assistant Professor. It was my first professional role after nearly two decades as a homemaker in a joint family system. I stepped into the classroom unsure of myself, but determined to create value. That moment was a turning point, one that set me on a path of teaching, outreach, and institution-building that continues to define me.

As an educator and a voluntary member of Bharat Soka Gakkai, I quickly realised that teaching was about much more than transmitting knowledge. My students were fresh out of school—restless, curious, and searching for direction. My role was to nurture their potential and create spaces where they could grow not only as professionals but as thoughtful human beings. Over the years, I completed my doctorate and progressed to professor, but the true fulfilment came from shaping vibrant learning communities.

My teaching philosophy has always been based on respect for the dignity of each individual, the belief that education must nurture the whole person, and the conviction that dialogue and community are central to learning. I hold that education must ultimately subscribe to the happiness of the child, and that teachers themselves must be deeply vested in working upon their own growth—both as human beings and as academics. This outlook shaped how I approached the classroom and also how I engaged in broader social initiatives.

My personal encounters with gender bias steered me toward the field of gender equality. From 2004 onward, I partnered with Sakshi, an organisation instrumental in landmark women’s rights legislation. Together we organised residential workshops that brought students, faculty, and judges into reflective and experiential dialogues. Role-enactment exercises often produced powerful shifts in attitude, demonstrating how education can be a catalyst for empathy and transformation.

Further collaborations with the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) deepened this work. Over many years, I conducted numerous legal literacy camps for women in collaboration with NCW, along with three-day workshops for women in the unorganised sector. These were not just about knowing the law—they were about building community and strengthening voices. We designed the programmes to combine legal literacy with elements of self-awareness and self-esteem, ensuring that empowerment was both practical and personal.

A unique feature was the pairing of each participant with a student facilitator, or “Vidhivan,” who remained in touch long after the workshops ended. The women gained not only awareness of their rights but also the confidence to speak up, approach institutions, and support each other in times of crisis. Many reported feeling a sense of dignity and agency for the first time. For the students, the experience was equally transformative. Guiding participants through reflection and dialogue taught them empathy, sharpened their sense of responsibility, and gave them a lived understanding of law’s role in advancing justice. Several continued working in allied areas of legal aid and advocacy after graduation.

In parallel, I organised capacity-building programmes for police and judicial officers on gender sensitisation and the implementation of women-related laws. Here too, the change was visible. Officers who initially approached the sessions with scepticism often emerged with softened attitudes. I recall one officer who, after enacting the role of a victim’s father, admitted that he would henceforth approach cases with the empathy of a parent. Judges spoke of recognising unconscious bias in their own outlook. These moments of recognition, while individual, hinted at the wider cultural shift that education and dialogue can awaken.

For me, this was sustainability in action. Legal knowledge gave women tools, but it was the community networks—woven like Indra’s Net, where each jewel reflects and sustains the others—that enabled change to take root and endure. When women and students stood together, transformation was not only possible but sustainable.

This trajectory naturally aligned with the global framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Gender equality, enshrined in Goal 5, was a direct extension of my work, but I came to see sustainability as inseparable across all 17 goals—whether in education, justice, or community development. Sustainability, in my view, is about building systems and relationships that uphold dignity and equity across generations.

In recent years, I have been actively involved in sustainability initiatives—plastic collection drives, SDG exhibitions in schools and colleges, and the formation of SDG clubs. I also worked with the Gyan Deep Growth Foundation to support students from underprivileged backgrounds, extending the idea of sustainability into the realm of education equity. These experiences continually remind me that sustainability must be lived locally—in classrooms, institutions, and communities—before it can flourish globally.

As we move towards 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals remain a formidable yet urgent call. The challenges are vast, but so too are the possibilities. My journey convinces me that education, when linked with gender equality and rooted in community building, can be a powerful driver of sustainability. It can seed the change—within individuals, within institutions, and within society—that a sustainable future demands.

I first encountered the philosophy of Soka Humanism in 2015, and it immediately struck a chord with me. Its emphasis on the dignity of each individual and the responsibility we carry toward others and the planet inspired me to take action in education.

In 2018, I had the opportunity to bring the “Seeds of Hope and Action” exhibition to a school near Indore as part of a CSR initiative in four rural schools. The exhibition created a strong impact. Students were captivated by the stories of environmental challenges and human resilience, and many began reflecting deeply on their own actions. It was incredible to witness young minds move from awareness to a determination to act.

One inspiring example is a student from one of these four schools, Jaivica Kushwah. Motivated by the SOHA exhibition, she started creating eco-friendly vermicompost at home. Her efforts also inspired local farmers to adopt similar methods, creating a ripple effect of sustainable practice beyond the school.

Since SOHA, all four campuses have become plastic-free zones. Students have taken initiatives in water conservation, waste management, organic farming, and gender equality. ‘Nukkad nataks’ highlight pressing issues such as women’s hygiene, sustainable behaviour, and promoting local products. Waste materials are creatively repurposed into art, furniture, and educational tools. Seed banks have been established, and students have received awards for their efforts, including a Certificate of Special Mention for Jaivica Kushwah in the BSG Awards for Excellence in Sustainability 2025.

I actively brainstorm ideas with the students, support them in planning and carrying out their projects, and record the progress of each school carefully. Our monthly SDG and Peace Club meetings are more than just check-ins, they are spaces where students share their successes, discuss challenges, and bring fresh ideas to life. Through these sessions, I make sure the momentum continues, curiosity is nurtured, and every small action contributes to a lasting culture of sustainable behaviour. At home, I maintain a zero-waste household – composting all wet waste and growing vegetables organically. Even my young granddaughter participates consciously, opting for eco-friendly celebrations.

Through these efforts, I have seen how principles of Soka Humanism – valuing life, nurturing potential, and taking action—can empower students to become responsible global citizens. As SGI Founding President and my mentor, Mr. Daisaku Ikeda writes, “Courage and action inspired by a fresh pioneering spirit transform communities, change societies and usher in a dawn of hope.” Every step we take to cultivate sustainable human behaviour in students brings that vision closer to reality.