Ambassador Ajai Malhotra, IFS (Retd)
Chairman and Managing Trustee
Ajai Malhotra holds an M.A. in Economics from Delhi School of Economics. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977 and worked in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, and Indian missions in Bucharest (Ambassador), Geneva, Kuwait (Ambassador), Moscow (thrice, including Ambassador), Nairobi, New York (Ambassador/DPR to UN) and Washington DC (Minister (Commerce); 1999-2003).
He retired as India’s Ambassador to Russia after 37 years of distinguished service. Besides serving Shiksha, he is currently Distinguished Fellow & Senior Adviser (Climate Change), TERI; Chairman & Managing Trustee, Chikitsa; and Chairman, Nehru Trust for the Indian Collections at the V&A Museum.
He has also served as Chairperson, UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, Geneva; Vice Chairperson UN Working Group on Communications, Geneva; Lead Independent Director of ONGC and ONGC Videsh; Chairman, Standing Committee, International Cotton Advisory Committee, Washington DC; and President, Kiwanis Club of New Delhi.
Member Trustees
Urmila Dongre
Udai Malhotra
PK Dutta
Rampal Rehan
Tarun Kandhari
Leadership
Major General BK Sharma
AVSM, SM and Bar (Retd)
Director General - Chikitsa & Shiksha Trusts
General of the Indian Army and former Director General of the United Service Institution of India, Maj Gen Sharma brings nearly five decades of leadership in public administration, education, healthcare, governance, and national service. He brings a strategic vision and deep commitment to public purpose.
As Patron and Chairman of Army Public Schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas, he has guided education standards nationwide, while also providing strategic direction to military hospitals serving soldiers, veterans, and families. He has led welfare programmes in border and remote areas, served as President of the Cantonment Board, Kanpur, and headed the USI of India as Director General from 2020 to 2025.
His career includes serving as GOC of a Mountain Division, Senior Faculty at the National Defence College, and postings as a UN Military Observer and Defence Attaché abroad. He holds an M.Sc. in Defence Studies and an M.Phil., and is decorated with the AVSM, Sena Medal & Bar, and the Award for Nation Building in Education.
Simi Handa
Academic Director
Mrs Simi Handa is a seasoned educator cum special educator who has worked for over 15 years at St Columba’s School, New Delhi, prior to joining Shiksha as Academic Director in February 2023.
She works with the principals and teachers of the Shiksha Education Centres at Mohyal Colony and Wazirabad village in Gurugram to enable students to minimize and overcome their learning losses, secure continuous professional development of teaching staff, mitigate the impact of unfinished learning, and help the students successfully adapt to NEP 2020 requirements.