Conference Organising Team

InDEC is not an organisation, but a collective of individuals with an interest in the education space in India. 

Every year, the Conference is held in a different city in the Indian sub-continent and rotated around different regions, to make it easier for people in the region to attend. The conferences are organised by individuals who come together for the event. Beyond the conference time, the group keeps in touch with each other through an email list and a WhatsApp group. If you want to be part of the upcoming conference in 2024, then read through the InDEC-ChalShiksha 2024 information and register for the conference. If you are unable to come for the conference but would like to keep in touch beyond the conference time, then get in touch with one of the organisers.

Anyone interested can share their work, by doing a presentation in any form - lead a workshop, a talk followed by a discussion, a group presentation, a role play, a song.  Children are also welcome to join the conference organising team, make films, participate in group discussions etc.

Amukta Mahapatra

Amukta Mahapatra, founder of SchoolScape has been associated with the field of education since many years. She has worked with small schools and also developed programmes that have been implemented by the education departments across a state or many states in India. Wherever she has worked, she has fought for the child’s right to live and learn spontaneously.

She started her teaching career at the The School K.F.I, the Krishnamurti Foundation India school in Chennai.

Later, as the first principal of Abacus School in Chennai, she enabled Montessori practices from preschool to high school, to be seen from a contemporary perspective.

While working with UNICEF, she helped to develop a Quality Package to be implemented in government schools across ten states.

Sourav Dutta

Sourav Dutta, a versatile professional with over 15 years of experience, began his career as a special teacher in Kolkata before transitioning to his passion for photography and filmmaking in Mumbai.

Renowned as one of India's youngest education filmmakers, Sourav has excelled in television, advertising, web series, and digital platforms as a writer, director, and assistant. Currently working on the documentary series "Project Nomad," he is also an acting and digital filmmaking trainer.

Throughout the pandemic, Sourav mentored 'The Bulbul' project under TERI, empowering pan Himalayan journalists. He served as the Creative Head at Witblox and co-created 'ChalShiksha,' India's first national education film festival.

Active in social work with organisations like Nirmal Narmada and Trinayani NGO, Sourav contributes to curriculum development for media training. His Nomad Contributor Program online initiative trains film enthusiasts from across India.

Poorva Bhave

Poorva is a cofounder at Learners Collective Foundation, Mumbai. 

Having worked as a Medical teacher for a few years, she decided to work with young people to understand how learning happens at early age. She works as a facilitator at Sadhana Learning Centre, Sion, Mumbai, which is a self-directed democratic learning space.

Harshad Tathed

Harshad Tathed is an educational entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience, having worked with 10,000+ children. Notably, he has successfully guided over 300 students who failed 9th grade to pass their 10th grade SSC exams. He is the co-founder of Project Nomad, Project Nomad is a community driven, unstructured group of individuals from different backgrounds with a common goal of spreading stories and awareness about alternative and experimental education. He also founded Swayambodh Gurukul, dedicated to helping children who face academic challenges. 

Additionally, he established Colour Bugs Arts Campus, specializing in Shadu Matti Ganpati making and arts facilitation. With a background as a school principal and experience in programs like Jagriti Yatra and Teach for India Fellowship, he brings a broad perspective on education and social impact. He has a keen interest in photography and enjoys networking to create new connections.

Rajitha Gopinath

Rajitha is a cofounder at Learners Collective Foundation, Mumbai. She is passionate about self directed learning and creating a space where every learner is free to express themselves. Her latest interests include learning about philosophy and how to do math with 5 year olds.

Abhilasha A. Kulkarni

Abhilasha A. Kulkarni is Admin Manager at Abhilasha HR Solutions Pvt Ltd. In addition to her corporate role, she is the founder of Shikshan Sankalp, a coaching class firm and is founder at Zhep Films Creation, a production house. 

With a strong background in administration and a passion for education and filmmaking, she strives to make a positive impact in both the corporate and creative realms. She holds a Master degree in Physics from Pune University. 

Beyond work she enjoys exploring nature through trekking and  camping.