In Conversation with Rajshree Upadhyaya |Renisha Bharvani, Head of Research & Legal, Rangeet
1. Why the name ‘Rangeet’ and what aspirations does the organization have?
“Rangeet” combines two Hindi words — rang (colour) and sangeet (music) — reflecting our playful, experiential approach to learning through music, art, games, and storytelling. We believe every child deserves to thrive — to feel confident, connected, and capable of shaping a better world. India alone has over 260 million students from diverse backgrounds and contexts, studying in schools with vastly different resources. Our mission is to empower teachers and students to transform classrooms into joyful, inclusive spaces. By helping children discover their voice and teachers find renewed purpose, we aim to see schools where attendance, participation, and wellbeing flourish — not just in India but across the Global South.
2. The global education system faces a massive skills crisis by 2030. What gap does Rangeet aim to fill in this changing educational landscape?
By 2030, 800 million children worldwide may lack the skills to thrive. Many in the Global South are left behind not for lack of talent, but access. True education must nurture curiosity, creativity, confidence, and compassion — not just academics. Yet under-resourced schools often depend on rote methods that disengage both teachers and students. Rangeet fills this gap by making education holistic, scalable, adaptable and human-centred — enabling every child to learn with joy, and every teacher to teach with confidence.
3. SEEK©, your Social Emotional & Ecological Knowledge curriculum is central to Rangeet. What makes it different from traditional classroom learning?
Traditional education still mirrors the early 20th-century “factory model”, preparing students for a world that no longer exists. Tomorrow’s children will need to compete with machines and adapt to jobs that haven’t yet been imagined. Rangeet’s Social Emotional & Ecological Knowledge (SEEK)© curriculum equips them with the breadth of learning, literacy, and life skills needed for this future.
Grounded in the science of learning, SEEK teaches mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, mindful and safe digital practices, and social issues, including discrimination, bullying, gender equality and climate change. Through stories, songs, art, games,experiments and role-play, children develop vital skills, such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, resilience and confidence. Every lesson engages multiple intelligences — from musical and linguistic to interpersonal and logical — ensuring every child connects with the content.
Rangeet’s mobile app works online or offline, requires no student devices, and integrates easily with existing subjects. It can be taught anywhere, anytime, by anyone.
4. The curriculum seems playful and creative, involving stories, music, and art. Why is play-based learning such a powerful tool for children?
As Benjamin Franklin said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” Studies show experiential learning leads to retention rates as high as 90%, compared to just 5–10% with rote methods. Play-based learning engages emotion and curiosity — the ingredients of lasting understanding. When learning is joyful, it becomes memorable.
5. Teacher engagement seems central to Rangeet’s approach. How do you train and support educators?
Only a single 2–3 hour session is needed to train teachers to use the app and teach SEEK — online or in person. In-app videos reinforce training and address low digital literacy. Ongoing field visits, chats, and community forums ensure continuous support. Teachers join the “SEEKer” community to share stories, exchange ideas, and celebrate impact, creating a sustainable ecosystem of peer learning and encouragement.
6. How has the education system changed over several decades? How does Rangeet adhere to the principles and beliefs of modern education?
If Rip Van Winkle woke up today after 40 years, the school would be the one place he’d still recognise. The system hasn’t evolved. We still prepare children for an outdated world. As educator Sean Bellamy says, “Is maths useful if there are no animals left to count?”
Rangeet’s SEEK curriculum embodies modern education’s shift from rote to relevance. Developed with experts in psychology, ecology, digital literacy, and pedagogy, it builds skills AI cannot replicate — empathy, creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking. Through experiential learning, students grow into confident, compassionate, and resilient individuals — exactly the human qualities the future demands.
7. How does Rangeet vision’s align with penetration of AI in education today? Does it advocate the concept of AI in education?
AI and social media exploit our human need for connection but often provide only an illusion of it. Children, especially adolescents, are vulnerable to this. We advocate for no-device learning for young children and limited, supervised AI use for older students. Like the pharmaceutical industry, AI needs regulation and ethical guardrails.
Rangeet uses AI judiciously — for example, a wellbeing chatbot that supports teachers and an internal AI agent that helps our field team gather insights. Technology is used to support teachers, not replace them. Real education happens through human connection, and that remains at the heart of our model.
8. NEP is a document underlining a better way of teaching and learning. Does Rangeet’s vision and methods converge with it?
The NEP calls for learning that is holistic, experiential, and engaging — emphasising social-emotional growth and ethics. SEEK builds on this by integrating ecological awareness, digital citizenship, and wellbeing through play-based learning. It helps students engage with social issues such as discrimination, equity, and mental health, while reinforcing core subjects like science, social studies and language.
Mapped to the NEP, NCF, NCERT and state frameworks, SEEK can be taught as a standalone subject or woven into existing curricula. With only a few hours of teacher training, it’s ready for immediate classroom use.
9. Could you share some examples of Rangeet’s impact at the grassroots, perhaps from projects in Ranchi, Dehradun, or Pali?
In Uttarakhand, 10-year-old Deepak, after completing SEEK’s Beyond Pink and Blue module, helped prevent his 15-year-old neighbour’s child marriage by speaking up to his teacher. In Rajasthan, children petitioned their village council to build a tube well after learning about water conservation. Teachers have begun addressing students by name, breaking patriarchal norms; boys help with household chores; families share meals together. SEEK has sparked a shift not only in classrooms but also in communities.
10. As you look to the future, what are Rangeet’s plans to expand its reach or deepen its impact globally?
Rangeet’s SEEK program operates in government schools in India and Bangladesh, supported by state departments, NGOs, and corporate CSR partnerships. Our app, curriculum, training, and support form a full-service model allowing scalable, low-cost adoption.
Rangeet’s wellbeing activity book series, My Happiness and Me, published by Oxford University Press, is already in schools across India and will soon go global. Pilots in South Africa and Nigeria are underway, with plans to expand further across Asia and Africa.
We’ve impacted nearly 500,000 children in five years—and by 2030, we aim to reach 100 million. Through creative learning, teacher wellbeing, and scalable innovation, we’re building a world where every child can thrive.
