Ryan Pinto, CEO, Ryan International Group of Institutions

Where would you place education on your list of national priorities?
Education is the backbone of any society. So education should be given top priority together with healthcare and food security.

How best to upgrade government schools? 
There’s no easy answer to this question. One of the ways would be to encourage and implement successful public-private partnerships. 

Thinker/philosopher you admire most.
Aristotle, whose name means ‘best purpose’. 

Your favourite Nobel laureate.
Mother Teresa. She brought reality into the meaning of sharing Christ’s love with everyone.

Your leadership style.
Building and motivating cross-functional teams which exceed expectations. I believe that if we hire people bigger than us, we’ll become a company of giants. 

Your favourite book on leadership.
Good to Great by Jim Collins. A must-read for all aspiring leaders.

For or against the RTE Act mandating 25 percent reservation for under-privileged children in private schools?
Education is the key to national development. In RIGI, we’ve practiced inclusion for many years, providing free and highly subsidised education to needy members of society and children of all our employees.

Also read: Why the RTE act should be scrapped

Should education outlay be doubled by cutting defence expenditure?
Prudent budgeting is required for all sectors of the economy. 
    
How satisfied are you with the growth and development of RIGI?
Over the past three decades RIGI has achieved a lot. We now cover almost the entire country and have also spread our wings globally. We intend to continue our efforts to spread quality education.

Pessimistic or optimistic about the future of Indian education?
Definitely optimistic. India has the largest youth population in the history of mankind. Quality education for all can transform our country into an economic superpower.