The 27-year-old primary school teacher from Pashtepada, Maharashtra, is creating ripples of change with his fresh and ingenious teaching methods. He has converted a zilla parishad school into a ‘smart school,’ where children are taught using tablets and computers instead of schoolbooks. The majority of the students are children of farmers and labourers.

   Sandip Gund’s innovative teaching methods have inspired over 40 schools in Thane district to replicate his ‘Gund’ model of teaching this year. Sandip’s extraordinary journey began when he was posted as a primary school teacher in Pashtepada. “The conditions here were very poor. Students did not turn up for classes.

   For once, I actually thought of giving up and going back to my native place,” recalls Sandip. Not one to be disheartened though, Sandip began to explore ways of making schools attractive to the....