‘Within my family itself, we have 30-40 Apeejay students and alumni’  

Mr Pankaj Khanna is the Founder and CEO of Khanna Computer Arts, a graphic designing firm. His daughter Shivanshi Khanna is a B. Com Honors first year student at the Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA), Jalandhar. In a wide-ranging interview, he shares his reasons for choosing ACFA, his daughter’s progress, his perception about the online classes and his family legacy of Apeejay students and alumni. Edited excerpts:

Why did you choose ACFA over other universities for your child’s admission?

Shivanshi has been a student of Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg, since LKG class. Her school is adjacent to ACFA. My niece has also done her M. Com from this premier institution (ACFA) and she is doing very well in her life. So, I had my trust in the education provided by the Apeejay Education Group. Both my children are Apeejay students. My son is a class 11, Commerce student at Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg. Even my wife is an alumnus of Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg. So, we have a lot of faith in the Apeejay Education Group (laughs). I am not an Apeejay student but my first choice for my children is always Apeejay. Everyone in my family is from Apeejay. From within my family itself, we have some 30-40 students enrolled in Apeejay schools and colleges (laughs). So, you see, we have a very strong faith in this group.

Please tell us a bit about your child and take us through her progress at school?

Shivanshi is doing very well in both academics and extra-curricular activites. She is also taking an active interest in my graphic designing business. Among subjects she likes everything related to Commerce. She likes nail art and graphic designing among her hobbies.

 Are the teachers engaging well with the students?

The teachers are engaging very well with the students. I have met two-three teachers personally and I must say they are extremely cooperative and well versed in their particular filed. I met Ms Aarti, she is a very good teacher.

What is the best thing about ACFA?

The best thing about ACFA is the ambience. It is quite good. The staff is very cooperative. Even my daughter’s seniors are very encouraging. They are just like a family. She misses her college life due to the online classes. She tells me that she is missing the glorious years of her life. (Laughs)

What is your perception about the online classes?

Even though the classes are online, the teachers and students are well connected with each other. The teachers are giving the best of their knowledge to the students on how to procure more marks, how to attempt the question paper in a correct way, how to go in for extra-study. It is all very good.