Mrs. Ashima Bath works and resides at The Lawrence School, Sanawar. She was the Head of Faculty, English, one of the youngest to be appointed in 2001. Currently she is Senior Housemistress there.
An educator or ‘edutainer’ as she refers to herself, she has the distinction wearing many hats at any given time. A teacher, resource person, writer, cook, homemaker, mother, wife and philanthropist to name just a few.
Mrs. Ashima Bath is also an expert on innovative and programmatic approach to child education. A BEC teacher trainer from the British Council, her specialized workshops, beside teaching the ELT skills and prevalent methodologies, aim at the dissemination of expertise to bring about a change in the role and attitude of teachers. Her workshops specifically create awareness towards the needs of the students and the changing scenario of our education system in today’s world.
Some of her self designed areas of ELT specialization include new forms of vocabulary retention, formulated creative writing modules for different grades, a specialized module for teaching Shakespeare to beginners and extensive reading lists for classes eight to twelve.
In school her work also deals extensively with extracurricular activities. These include topics such as, creative expression and writing, thematic and integrated classroom teaching, phonetics through innovative methodology, drama in education, movie clubs for children and much more.
She believes very strongly in the upliftment of women and the rights of the girl child.
A philanthropist at heart she helps the women in her village by providing materials to knit and sew.
Ashima Bath has helped visualise and run a series of NGO School outside of New Delhi, under the aegis of the Takshila Foundation whose syllabi and running she still supervises in the capacity of a visiting teacher.
Passionate about reading, writing and her love for the language and etymology she is often considered to be and referred to as ‘the mad professor.’
She also successfully ran Sunnyside Learning Centre, a pre-primary center for children. Mrs. Ashima Bath is co-author of BROADWAY, SKYLINE and MULBERRY series published by Oxford University Press.
Mrs. Ashima Bath also writes for the Tribune, Robin Age, a children’s newspaper in Mumbai and for Education World along with opining on books of various genres at select venues.
She often quotes Robert Frost, “I have miles to before I sleep, miles to go, before I sleep”, when asked how much more she has left to go.
She resides permanently in the hills along with her husband, Iknam Bath and daughter Ananyaa Bath
Ashok Chopra is the CEO and MD of Hay House Publishing in India. He is also a long time resident of Kasauli and Himachal Pradesh.
Anand Kumar Sethi, an alumnus of IIT, Bombay has some four decades of active involvement in international joint ventures and business. Dr. Sethi has been an advisor to several international development Financial Institutions. In December 2011, the President of Finland conferred upon him the honour of Knight of the order of ‘the white rose of Finland’. An established writer, he is very actively involved in its cleaning up and ‘renewal’ of the many historical sites there. With an abiding interest in history, Anand has curated and furnished exhibits in the setting up of the Dagshai Jail Museum now designated as a heritage site by Himachal Tourism.
Has a doctorate in Special education and has been associated in the field of Education for 30 years. She is now a consultant with the Sankara Group of Schools in Chennai. She along with her husband have been a part of the KSLF journey since its inception.
H. Kishie Singh was both in Shimla and spent his formative years there. He was educated at Bishop Cotton School Shimla and St. Stephens College, Delhi. After a brief stint with Air India, he joined an International Company in 1961 and worked in Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva and Montreal, among other places. In 1975, he moved back to India. Being a motoring aficionado, he drove from London to New Delhi, tracing, on the way, Alexander’s journey from Macedonia to India. Since then, he has been a motoring correspondent for the ‘Statesman’, the ‘Tribune’ and other newspapers. His column ‘Good Motoring’, for the ‘Tribune’, has had an uninterrupted run for 20 years. Kishie Singh has also participated in the Isuzu Challenge and The Rain Forest Challenge, two of the most difficult motoring events in the world.
He made “Panjabi” fashionable. The idea man who has showcased the culture of Panjab in creative merchandise through his conceptual brand 1469. A commerce graduate from Delhi University he studied Quality Control at NIFT and since has been evolving through his business and travel experience. He not only continues to promote the art, craft and music of the land of five rivers but also contributes to social and environmental issues innovatively. His association with international clothing brands across Europe spans 3 decades. His motto in life - Chardikala! ( Be in high spirits)
Niloufer Bilimoria is a Founder Director of KSLF. The Festival began as a labor of love to propagate the values and ideals of Khushwant Singh. Which are needed in today’s world of strife and lives full of care, where we have no time to stand and stare. Her background with a leading international hotel chain and the largest selling English daily newspaper in the world prepares her to take on this challenge of bringing together leading minds on a common platform to inspire, challenge, learn and unlearn. Inspired by Alvin Toffler, “For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday”
An alumnus of RIMC, NDA & IMA, was commissioned into the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Gorkha Rifles in December 1984.
In his career spanning over 4 decades he has held various Command and Staff appointments and served across diverse terrains including Siachen. He is a
Graduate of NDC, DSSC & Higher Command Course. He holds a MPhil in Defence & Management and 2 other Post Graduate Diplomas in Defence Studies.
He commanded his Battalion in Super High Altitude area, the Prestigious Kasauli Brigade, an active Division in the LAC and a Corp in the Western Theatre.
It was during his command of the Kasauli Brigade in June 2012, the seed for the start of the KSLF was sown over a drink with Rahul and Niloufer, on the steps of the verandah of the Kasauli club. The 1st edition was rolled out in October 2012 under the aegis of the Kasauli club with active support by the Army.
Both Ananth and his wife Aparna have been an integral part of all the editions of KSLF.
Rahul Singh has been a writer, journalist and editor of Readers Digest, Indian Express, Sunday Observer.
He has penned, among other books, an engaging biography of his father Khushwant Singh, In The Name of the Father, which was launched by Amitabh Bachchan.
He is a Life Member of the Delhi Public School Society. He was President of the media awards committee at the Population Institute Washington.
Rahul studied in 11 schools as his father was posted all over during his years in the foreign service. It was here, at an Elysee in Paris that he picked up his French. He graduated in History from Kings College, Cambridge.
Varun Kathuria is a chartered accountant with a keen interest in helping non-profit organisations function effectively.
