“Bagless education” - or an education unburdened from the regimentation of physical textbooks - is gaining ground in India. Rather than just obsessing over rote learning, bagless education for a specified period allows children in the grades between grades 6 and 8 to explore many unstructured creative and vocational pursuits across schools in India. Propelling some of that movement is Dr. Swaroop Sampat Rawal, a well-known educator and teacher-training expert.

Swaroop, who holds a Ph.D. in Education and a Doctor of Letters from the United Kingdom, is that rare celebrity actor with once a successful TV career and fame followed by many films who has transformed herself into a passionate advocate for teaching and education overhaul nationwide. Dr. Rawal spoke to Mayank Chhaya Reports about the growing recognition of the value of arts and aesthetics in the school curriculum across the country.