Nilesh Nimkar

20/01/2026

Some people don’t meet you often, but when they do, they quietly shape the way you think.

Mr. Amit Chandra recently visited QUEST along with the team from the ATE Chandra Foundation. It was a pleasure to host them and reflect on a journey that began nearly eight years ago.

I first met Amit Chandra with our mentor, the late Mr. Y. M. Deosthali, when they nudged me to think differently about QUEST’s future. They convinced me that if QUEST was to scale its work, I needed to step into leadership training. I remember telling them that they might lose a good educator and gain at best a mediocre CEO.

Nonetheless I followed their advice reluctantly. That decision changed the way I thought about scale and impact. QUEST has been able to grow because of ATECF’s steady and thoughtful support at every critical juncture.

Grateful for the visit, the enriching conversations, and the continued belief in our work.

23/12/2025

Last week we wrapped up a production schedule of educational films at QUEST
Watch glimpses of the process in this post shared from the QUEST page.

08/12/2025

Yesterday, I had the privilege of delivering a keynote at the Tech4Ed Conference at IIT Chennai on “Beyond Hype: What Technology Can & Cannot Do for Learning.”

I began by showing two images.

The first was of Prof. Tobias Colding teaching Real Analysis at MIT in Spring 2025, standing at a blackboard, explaining deeply complex ideas with nothing more than chalk and clarity.

The second was of Ms. Saroj Kukade, an Anganwadi worker from Maharashtra, teaching young children their first letters, using a smartboard and digital pen.

It’s a striking contrast.

If an MIT classroom can rely on chalk and board to teach advanced mathematics, what does it mean that an Anganwadi, serving some of our youngest and most underserved learners, is equipped with expensive digital tools?

Do we need a smartboard in an Anganwadi?
What learning value are we hoping it will add?
Are we unintentionally over-engineering our classrooms?
And at what cost? Especially in contexts where resources are already scarce.
This isn’t a criticism of technology in general. It’s an invitation to reflect on where it truly empowers learning, and where it may distract us from what matters most.

I would love to hear your thoughts:
Where should technology play a role in learning, and where should it gracefully step aside?

02/12/2025

I will be speaking on 'Beyond Hype: What Technology Can and Cannot Do for Learning'

On 7th December 2025, at IIT Madras.

Please register if you are in Chennai.

18/11/2025

🙏🏾 Heartfelt thanks to everyone!

The Qimpro Gold Standard award is given to individuals who work towards improving institutional quality.

I received this award for the work done to enhance the quality of education for young children. I am glad that this award brings recognition to this important yet often neglected aspect of the education sector.

I am not alone in this endeavour. Hence I accepted this award as a representative of the many people working in the field of early childhood education.

I hope that this award will spark some curiosity about what exactly this work involves.

🙏🏾 सर्वांना मनापासून धन्यवाद!

Qimpro Gold Standard award हा पुरस्कार संस्थात्मक गुणवत्ता वाढीसाठी काम करणाऱ्या व्यक्तींना दिला जातो.

लहान मुलांच्या शिक्षणाच्या गुणवत्ते साठी केलेल्या कामाबद्दल मला हा पुरस्कार देण्यात आला. या अत्यंत महत्त्वाच्या पण दुर्लक्षित क्षेत्राची दखल यामुळे घेतली गेली हे बरे झाले.

हे काम काही मी एकट्याने केलेले नाही त्यामुळे बालशिक्षणाच्या क्षेत्रात काम करणाऱ्या अनेक जणांचा प्रतिनिधी म्हणून मी हा पुरस्कार स्वीकारत आहे!

पुरस्काराच्या निमित्ताने हे काम नेमके काय आहे या बद्दल थोडी उत्सुकता निर्माण होईल अशी आशा आहे.

31/10/2025

When was the last time you dropped everything just to read a book?

I was buried in an Excel sheet—lost in numbers and deadlines—when a WhatsApp notification popped up. The Balmitras at QUEST had shared an invite for a book exhibition at our library. Without thinking twice, I shut my laptop and headed straight to the educational centre.

For the next few hours, the entire team—myself included—was lost in books. Surrounded by stories and quiet laughter, it felt like time had paused.

It took me back to QUEST’s early days, when reading with the Balmitras was a regular part of our learning. As the organization grew, those simple, grounding moments slowly slipped away—replaced by meetings, plans, and travels across the country.
That afternoon reminded me why we started in the first place. Growth is important, but so is staying connected to what nourishes us.

So When was the last time you paused your busy day to read—just for the joy of it?

06/09/2025

Thirty years ago, when I began working in the social sector—especially in education—there were no incubation programs like this. The term social entrepreneur wasn’t even in our vocabulary. We had ideas, we had passion, but we were left to figure things out on our own.
That’s why it feels so encouraging today to see an ecosystem that actively supports, guides, and nurtures emerging social entrepreneurs.

What excites me most about this opportunity is that it’s not just about teaching the new generation—it’s equally about learning from them. Every interaction brings fresh perspectives on education and reminds me why this work matters. The energy, innovation, and passion they bring to tackling challenges is truly inspiring.
I’m looking forward to meaningful exchanges with this cohort and contributing to their journey of creating impactful change in education.

05/09/2025

The quality of an education system is only as good as its teachers!

And yet, professional development of our teachers remains one of the most under-invested areas in education.

We see a different picture in better-paid professions like medicine, finance or management. Medicine, for instance, demands continuous learning about new discoveries, protocols, and drugs. There exists an ecosystem of medical representatives, conferences and journals to support doctors' professional development. IT professionals upgrade their skills through online forums and certifications.

But once someone enters teaching, how often do we ensure such opportunities for growth? Rarely.

Schools can function without uniforms or polished shoes, but not without teachers who are evolving, reflective, and continually learning. Still, neither parents nor policymakers recognize the urgency of teacher development. Without strong professional ecosystems, the teacher-community remains meek.

It is not enough to celebrate teachers for a single day. It is time we reframe the conversation: investing in teachers is not optional, it is the very foundation of educational quality. Better teachers lead to better learning and, ultimately, a better future for all.

What one reform or investment do you believe is critical for teacher professional development in India?

Happy Teachers’ Day!

07/03/2025

नोबेल पुरस्कार विजेते अर्थतज्ज्ञ अभिजित बॅनर्जी यांच्या गणित शिक्षण विषयक संशोधन पत्रिकेची तोंडओळख करून देणारा माझा लेख आजच्या ‘लोकमत’मध्ये आला आहे.

आपल्या प्रतिक्रिया समजून घ्यायला नक्की आवडेल.

03/03/2025

I am happy that our research paper has been published. Please visit this link to read / download the paper - https://iase-pub.org/ojs/SERJ/article/view/740.

We are thrilled to share that a research paper authored by Mitali Thatte (Joint Director, QUEST), Katie Makar (Univ. of Queensland), and Nilesh Nimkar (Director, QUEST) has been published in the Statistics Education Research Journal!

Titled "How Children with Different Dialects Navigated Uncertain Language in a Statistics Investigation," the paper was presented by Mitali at ICME 2024 in Australia. In a conference filled with statistics professors, Mitali stood out as the only presenter from an NGO, bringing a unique perspective to this important discussion.

Congratulations, Mitali! We look forward to more such groundbreaking research from you and the QUEST team, making a lasting impact on international education research.

23/01/2025

'अमुकतमुक' या सध्या trending असणाऱ्या चॅनेलवर माझी मुलाखत प्रसारित झाली आहे. जरूर पाहा.

https://youtu.be/owuFimNdDYc?si=A0xzHXeNCWu8kZ_n

मुलांसाठी शाळा निवडतांना काय विचार करायला हवा? कोणतं माध्यम निवडायला हवं? कोणतं board चांगलं आहे? इंग्रजी माध्यमामुळ...