Born:                           10 November 1936

Family:                      Married for 51 years to Dr. Bharti Gandhi, Ph.D., Child Psychologist, Co-founder, City Montessori School, Luckow, India. They have four children:

                                     (i) Dr. Sunita Gandhi is a Ph.D in Physics from Cambridge University, U.K. She is the co-founder of the Council for Global Education.

                                   (ii) Dr. Geeta Gandhi Kingdon is a Ph.D. from Oxford University. She is at present a Lecturer and Research Officer at Oxford University.

                                  (iii) Dr. Nita Gandhi Forouhi, MBBS, MRCP, Ph.D. is Medical Epidemiologist and Public Health Physician at Brent NHS Primary Care Trust, London.
(iv) Mr. Vinay Gandhi is a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) from London University. He is the founder of a primary school in Lucknow, India.

Education:

Elementary:                            Village-based school in Kanau, district Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

High School (Grade 10):        G. S. College, Sikandara Rao, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

Intermediate (Grade 12):       Champa Agarwal College, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh India

University:                              Bachelor of Commerce from Lucknow University, Uttar Pradesh 1959

Influenced greatly by Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and others, a young and idealistic Dr Jagdish Gandhi ventured in 1959 to create a new mindset through education. With just five children on roll, no personal wealth, and the equivalent of ten US dollars in borrowed capital, the motivated Dr Gandhi began his own personal experiment in Lucknow, India, some fifty one years ago in the name of City Montessori School. He saw this as more powerful a vehicle to prevent conflicts than working with negotiations and top-down policies alone. To do this, he gave up his own active role and successful career in politics, serving at the time as elected and popular member of the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh, the largest state of India. Today, at the age of 75, Dr Gandhi has no regrets. He works with the same undiminished zeal towards multiplying his mission for peace through education. In the past 51 years, he has not taken a single day off. He has slept little and has worked through every weekend and holiday. He has rarely had the resources to do his expanded programmes, and although the journey has by no means been easy, the citizens of Lucknow have greatly endorsed Dr Gandhi’s mission and values. Their support has made CMS the world’s largest school with over 39,000 students on its roll this year (a Guinness World Record for the largest school in the world held by CMS since 1999). Instead of resting on his glories, this recognition has meant that Dr Gandhi has gained momentum towards his goal. And, despite the fact that his institution is now the world’s largest school, Dr Gandhi lives simply in the same room in which he began his work for peace in 1959, and he has chosen to have no personal wealth of his own, spending instead all his created resources on his mission. Children are the world’s future. Dr Jagdish Gandhi believes the best way to mold the future is to nurture it. Persuaded by the UNESCO Constitution that wars begin in the minds of men, Dr Gandhi felt it best to build the defenses of peace in the minds of men through education and by nurturing young minds.           

It may be submitted that, from the time CMS was first established, Dr Jagdish Gandhi has worked to promote a broader definition of education that frees it from its largely material emphasis to focus on a broader education that encompasses all three realities of a child: material, human and spiritual. A child is a material being. A child is a human being. A child is a divine being. Such a balanced education trains the mind to not only think within the confines of jobs and material gain but also in terms of preparing human being for leadership and contribution to society, to become conscious citizens of their country and the world.

As future lies within the four walls of a school, it is schools that have the responsibility to lead the way in providing meaningful education, spiritual direction, guidance and leadership to students, their parents and the society at large. The destiny of a man and mankind is shaped in the classroom. In its Broader Education Model, Dr Gandhi has held that school is a lighthouse of society. Education must not be confined to a material education alone. A modern school must provide a balanced education: material, human and spiritual. It is schools that can and must play a leading role in creating a better and brighter future for all.  Dr Gandhi and City Montessori School, Lucknow, India has played a leadership role in creating an education that is capable of saving humanity.

 It is in July 1959 that Dr Gandhi started City Montessori School, CMS with just 5 children. The first words the children wrote on their slates were: "Jai Jagat!" (Hail the World). He also continued my other activities, for example, between 1959-64, He was President of Uttar Pradesh Naujawan Sangh (UP Youth Movement) and between 1960-65 I was Editor, Utho Jawano (Rise Up Youth!). Between 1961-73, he was Founder and General Secretary of the All India Children and Youth Festival and between 1962-65 Assistant District Scout Commissioner. In 1964, he convened an All India Education Exhibition aimed at highlighting the importance of spiritual education. In 1992, he was also named President of Children's International Summer Village (CISV), UP Chapter India, an office he hold to date. Additionally, he is President of International School-to-School Experience (ISSE), UP Chapter India. He introduced the Quality Circle concept in education and has been Chairman, World Council for Total Quality and Excellence in Education since 1999. Since 2001, he has been convening the International Conferences of the Chief Justices of the World to raise awareness of and mobilize forces to create a world safe for two billion children of the world and generations yet-to-be-born.

During the past ten years, 358 Chief Justices & Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts from 92 countries of the world have been pledged their support to create a world fit for children.  

His work has not stopped and he is continuing with unfailing zeal towards creating a world safe for children and creating students who are proactive agents of social transformation by giving them an education not just of the 3R's but an education that is capable of saving humanity.

Author of Ten Books on Spirituality and World Peace:

Dr Jagdish Gandhi is the author of eight books and his articles on spiritual education have been regularly featured in the prominent dailies like The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Pioneer, The Indian Express and The Rashtriya Sahara.

1)      1) Education for Protection and Security:
This book is based on Education for Protection and Security of the world's two billion children and generations yet-to-be-born.
2) Broader, Bolder Education for 21st Century:
An Education Capable of Saving Humanity
Worldwide, education has been largely confined to its 19th century material ethics and goals. Not much has changed either since Lord Macaulay first wrote the Minute on Indian Education in 1835 in which education of the three R's reigned supreme. Broader, Bolder Education aims to meet the needs and aspirations of the individual child and society in the 21st century.
3) Aim of Education (Shiksha ka Uddeshya): Talking of education does not merely mean paying attention to oneself, career and family, Instead it focuses on the progress and development of the society as a whole. Students are the future of the world, giving them proper and meaningful education and showing them the right path should be our primary responsibility.
4) The Unison of Human Soul with the Soul of God  (Atma ka Paramatma se Milan):
The book highlights various stages of spiritual development in the journey of human life. It elaborates that the true purpose of our existence is to know God and to worship Him.
5) Earth is One Family (Vasudha ek Kutumb): This book is based on the ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam and the vision of Baha’u’llah that ‘The Earth is but One Country’. The book has several articles based on the speeches of Dr Gandhi which narrate that we are all creation of One God and that the Earth is our home.
6) Meditation (Chintan):
This book revolves around the philosophy of meditation and tells the reader how useful it is for happiness.
7) Education (Siksha Parmo Dharma)
Siksha Parmo Dharma (Education: Greatest Service) The book highlights the fact that :- "Amongst the greatest of all the great services that can possibly be rendered by man to God is the education of children". It emphasizes that the first religion and divine duty of mankind should be Education. This book stresses the importance of education and of the school as the 'Lighthouse of Society.’
8) Solution (Samadhan)
The book revolves around the philosophy of "Earth is but one country and mankind its citizen". It highlights the fact that most evils prevailing on the planet are due to the division of mankind in the name of faith.
9) Whole world is our family (Vishva Parivar Hamara Hai)
The book revolves around the philosophy of "Earth is but one country and mankind its citizen". It highlights the commonalities of all humanity and hence emphasises one family.
10) Way to Salvation (Mukti Ka Ek Hi Marg)
A virtuous and spiritual life is the key to success and salvation.

Dr Gandhi has been awarded numerous awards like:

·         ‘Creating a World Fit for Children and Generations yet-to-be born’ in recognition of his services for 51-long-years with Honorary Doctorate Degree in Education by Bashkir State Pedagogical University, Ufa, Russia in October 05, 2009.

·         ‘World’s Largest School’ by Guinness World Records (presently over 39,000 students on roll) It was in 1999 that CMS entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the first time. The certificate signed by Keeper of the Records stated: ‘The largest school by pupils is the City Montessori School, Lucknow, India which had a world record enrolment of 22,612 pupils in 1999’. Eight years later, in February 2008, CMS received an updated certificate from Guinness World Records that stated: ‘The largest school by pupils is the CityMontessoriSchool, Lucknow, India which had a record enrolment of 32,114 pupils on 5 February 2008, for the 2007-08 academic year’.

·         ‘A Distinctive School’ by The 2002 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education in recognition of its efforts to promote universal values of education for peace and tolerance. The Director-General of UNESCO awarded the 2002 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education to Jagdish and Bharti Gandhi, founders of the City Montessori School (India) on behalf of the school at UNESCO Headquarters.

·         ‘As a Light House of Society’ by Changemakers Innovation Award 2005 for being an exemplary and role model school in the world.

·         ‘A True Visionary in the Field of Education’ by Mayor Everrete Varney while awarding the Key to the City of Georgetown (USA) on behalf of its citizens to Mr Jagdish Gandhi, Founder-Manager of CMS. Mr Jagdish Gandhi has been presented the Key to Georgetown, USA by the Mayor of Georgetown, Mr. Everette Varney, on 11th June 2002 as a symbolic honour in recognition of his pioneering role in introducing Quality Circles in education. The award was bestowed at a public function during the fifth ICSQCC held at Georgetown, Kentucky, USA.

·         ‘Unique way for education and human Enrichment’ by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE Board) while prenting the first Derozio Award. When India's premier Board for Public Education, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, New Delhi, decided to commence a national award of Rs. 1,00,000/- (One lakh Rupees) in memory of the great Indian visionary, educationist and poet, Henry Vivian Derozio, Mr Jagdish Gandhi was the unanimous choice of the Jury as the first recipient of the honour. The award was handed to Mr Gandhi by Mr Abdul Halim, Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, at a special function held at St Xavier's College, Calcutta. The citation noted that the award was being given to Mr Gandhi for his "Outstanding Contribution to Education and Human Enrichment". Mr Gandhi donated the cash part of the award, to the ICSE Council for use in the cause of education of poor children.

·         ‘Pioneer on Quality Education’ by H.E. Cassam Uteem, President of Mauritius while awarding Quality Pioneer Award at Port Luis, Mauritius. H.E. Mr Cassam Uteem, President of Mauritius honoured Mr Jagdish Gandhi with the Quality Pioneer's Award at Port Luis in Mauritius, in recognition of Mr Gandhi's pioneering contribution in introducing the concept and practice of Quality Circles (QC) in education. Incidentally, the Ministry of Education has made SQC's compulsory in all government-aided schools in Mauritius.

·         ‘Global Friend of World’s Children’ title by the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child by Children’s World, Sweden.

·         ‘Visionary New World Order Campaign’ as a special recognition while honoured with Nuclear–Free Future Award for its mission on behalf of world’s children to make the future nuclear-free. The City Montessori School (CMS) of Lucknow, founded by Jagdish and Bharti Gandhi in 1959, has since its humble beginnings (two rented rooms) educated students to respect the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and grown to become the largest private school in the world (some 28,000 pupils). On behalf of the globe's two billion children, CMS - the 2002 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education Award recipient - has launched a campaign calling for a New World Order, one with a duly constituted World Parliament empowered to enact "Enforceable International Law." Such law would be applicable to all the countries and peoples of the world with no provision for any veto or special powers for any country. In the words of the CMS campaign.

·         ‘Friend of Young Physicists’ by the Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw for contributing and promoting interest in physics education among students of High School and Intermediate classes.

·         ‘UP Ratan Award’ by the All Indian Conference of Intellectuals (U.P Chapter) personally handed by Mr. G. V. G. Krishnamurthy, former Chief Election Commissioner of India for 'excellent services in the field of Quality Education and in furtherance of the cause of Humanism, Nationalism and Peace'.

·         ‘Haji Waris Ali Shah Award’ by the Fankar Society. This prestigious award instituted by the Fankar Society was conferred on Mr. Gandhi by the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, H.E. Shri Motilal Vora.

·         ‘Exellence Award 2003’ by Council of Global Education USA, for Excellence in Academics.

·         ‘ Life Link Compaign Award’ by life link campaign for youth caring and sharing Peace Actions.

·         ‘Bhartiya Awam Society UP Award’ by Bhartiya Awam Society UP for unique working         and dedication towards world peace and universal brotherhood.

·         ‘Excellence Award’ by Progressive Cultural Society for the excellence and valuable services rendered to Society.

·    Participated in the international seminar jointly organized by Supreme Court and Istanbul Culture University on “Turkish Criminal Code and Child” from 19-23 April, 2010 at Istanbul, Turkey.

·    Invited to Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association Regional and Gender Conference 5-9 October, 2008 - Cape Town, South Africa.

·     Invited to 9th Biennial Conference of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) 25-28 March, 2008 – Panama.

·         Invited as Chief Guest to the International Convention on Student Quality Control Circles in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 4^th to 7^th January 2007.

·         Participated in the United Nations General Assembly hearings, UN Headquarters in New York in June 2005.

·         invited by the United Nations to the Millennium Forum held at UN headquarters at New York from 22nd to 26th May, 2000.

·         Invited by Peace direct and Keighley Foundation to tour UK (17-24 October 2004) and speak to communities in places that have witnessed racial violence in recent years.

·         Presented keynote address at 5th Convention on Students Quality Control Circles (ICSQCC 2002) at Georgetown, Kentucky, USA from June 11 to 13, 2002.

·         Was invited by the UNESCAP to address a U.N. Conference at Bangkok, Thailand on 20th September 2002.

·         Was invited as Chief Guest in Mauritius at National Convention on Quality Circles in Education held from September 26-30, 2002.

·         Was invited by the Goi Peace Foundation of Japan to address a Peace Symposium as Guest Speaker at Tokyo, Japan on 18th November 2002.

·         Was invited to the International Convention on Quality Control Circles at Taiwan, Taipei.

·         Participated in International Conference of International School-to-School Experience (ISSE) at San Francisco, USA 1996.

A Visionary and Educationist, Dr Gandhi has been working tirelessly for the cause of education and peace for the last 5 decades. Recipient of many awards and honours, Dr Gandhi’s tireless efforts were once again rewarded in the form of an Honorary Doctorate Degree that was awarded to him by the Bashkir State Pedagogical University (BSPU), Ufa, Russia. In a letter addressed to Dr Gandhi the Rector of the University of Bashkir State Pedagogical University (BSPU), Ufa, Russia, said “We take great pleasure in informing you that the Board Members of Bakshir State Pedagogical University (BSPU), Ufa, Russia have unanimously decided to honour you with the Honorary Doctorate Degree considering the fact that you have devoted 51 long years to the service of society and humanity at large in the field of education and building a world fit for children and generations yet-to-be-born.”

2009 to date       Founder, World Movement for World Unity Education (WMWUE)

20009 to date     Founder, World Movement for the Rights of Children (WMFRC)

2002 to date       Chief Coordinator, Indo-Pak Children’s Penfriends’ Club Aao Dosti Karein

2001 to date       Convener, International Conferences of Chief Justices of the World

2001 to date       Vice-President, Quality Circle Forum of India

2001 to date       Vice-President, Intellectual Forum of India, U.P. Chapter, India

1999 to date       Chairman, World Council for Total Quality and Excellence in Education

1994 to date       President, International School-to-School Experience (ISSE), U.P. Chapter, India

1992 to date       President, Children’s International Summer Village (CISV), U.P. Chapter India

1970 - 1990        Founder-Manager, C.T. Women’s College, Lucknow

1965 - 1973        Organizer, Annual Scouts & Guides Camps, Lucknow, U.P., India      

1964                   Convened an All India Education Exhibition aimed at highlighting the importance of spiritual education

1969 – 1974       Member, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly

1962 – 1965       Assistant District Scout Commissioner, Bharat Scouts and Guides, Lucknow  

1961-1973          Founder-General Secretary, All India Children & Youth Festival

1960-1965          Editor, UTHO JAWANO (a Weekly to motivate youth)

1960 -1985         Founder-Manager, Pre-Primary Teachers’ Training College, Lucknow

1959 -1964         President, Uttar Pradesh Naujawan Sangh (U.P. Youth Movement)

1959 to date       Founder-Manager, City Montessori School, Lucknow

1959                   Led an Anti-Dowry Campaign aimed at mobilizing public opinion against social ills

1958-1959          President of the Lucknow University Students’ Union, U.P., India

1958                   Convened the U.P. Sarvodaya Conference at Allahabad University (India) for mobilizing the student community in favour of spiritualization of educational curriculum

1955-1959          Founder-Manager, Adarsh Shiksha Kendra (Adult Education Centre),    Lucknow

1952                   Established Samaj Sewa Sadan (Social Service Centre) at G. S. College, Sikandra Rao, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

1952                   Founded Social Service League at his school in Sikandra Rao, Aligarh, U.P., India

1.         Exemplary Curriculums (USA), 8th November 1996:  "The religiously diverse school has proven that teachers can instill both personal virtues and a desire to excel, and that academic excellence flows from character development. Influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, the founders wanted the City Montessori School to exemplify the principles of unity of humankind and universal brotherhood...” bold experiment in teaching values, Educational Leadership, by ASCD, 1996, USA."

2.         One Country (USA), October- December 2001: "According to parents, CMS has been successful at attracting students largely for two reasons: its reputation for academic excellence and its distinctive programme of moral education. CMS's long-standing promotion of tolerance and oneness has contributed to the overall sense of communal harmony in Lucknow... The school also strives for educational innovation. It has adopted various management practices, such as Quality Circles...”etc.

3.         Regeneration and Renewal (UK), 19th November 2004: "Peacemaker's message - The world's biggest school, headed by Jagdish Gandhi has 31,000 pupils on its books. But its work to cut inter-communal conflict is even more impressive than its size... In a city split between Muslims and Hindus, the Montessori system's emphasis on nondenominational spirituality and the unity of mankind proved acceptable to both communities...”

4.         War Prevention Works (UK), September 2001: "Babri Masjid (Mosque) at Ayodhya was destroyed, spreading a wave of riots and violence throughout the city and across the country between Hindus and Muslims. City Montessori School, Lucknow, convened a series of public meetings to bring together the heads of all the religions of the city in its school buildings. CMS teachers and students took out several peace marches in sensitive areas of Lucknow and appealed directly to the people of the city to refrain from violence."

5.         Exemplary Curriculums (Australia), July- September 1998: "CMS recognises that a child observes the teacher's and parent's every move. Likewise, teachers are not merely experts in content; they are also responsible for the emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of the child... CMS recognizes mothers and fathers through a system of titles and certificates to honour parents for the children's achievements...”

6.         People Building Peace  (The Netherlands), 1999: "The seeds of Mahatma Gandhi's visions are being nurtured in India, where a school (CMS) that started in 1959 with five pupils has become the largest private school in the world with over 31,000 students. Today, the City Montessori School is a source of inspiration for schools all around the world."

7.         Creating Peace (Japan), June 2002: "Amongst the various peace education tools used at CMS, perhaps the most widely known and seen is the CMS Peace Floats that have been, for over 25 years now, a regular feature of the annual Republic Day Parade held on 26th January every year at Lucknow, India... The Parade is watched by over one million people every year for the last 27 years, who line up along the parade route and by many more millions on the television. Each year, the design and topic of the float varies but the overall arching theme remains unity in diversity and world peace. ”

8.         The Goi Peace Foundation (Japan), January 2003: "CMS believes that a school must act as a lighthouse to society, providing direction and guidance. Consequently, throughout its over four-decades long service in the field of education, CMS has been actively working to construct the defenses of peace in the minds of CMS students and also in the public mind. This is achieved through a vigorous use of various public education tools and peace based activities designed to promote peace and harmony. ”

9.         An Exceptional Effort UNESCO Magazine (France), October 2002: "The City Montessori School (CMS), founded in 1959 in Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is a school unlike any other. With 25,000 pupils from kindergarten up to high school level, it figures in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest private school in the world, and its students systematically score higher on exams then the national average. But it also stands out because of it its philosophy: for more than 40 years it has educated students to respect the values of tolerance and peace and sought to make them citizens of world. In recognition of this remarkable achievement, and the s chool was awarded this year’s UNESCO Prize for Peace Education."

10.       Global Vote 2009 (Sweden), 2009: "It was highly exciting to cast my vote in the Global Vote. For the first time I realised that I am not connected to my nation only but am a part of the world. There are so many silent social workers whose contributions to the deprived community are immense and beyond all praise. The WCPRC has brought me closer to the heart-touching fact that boys and girls of my age suffer piteously, either due to poverty or being under the cruel mastery of the rich. My heart yearns to pray for all the WCPRC candidates and their contributions to the rights of the child."

11.       ODE Lessons in Love (USA), March 2008: "Sitting in the back seat of his car one evening, Jagdish Gandhi puts away his cell phone and places a handkerchief over his thin knee. It's time for dinner. What's he having? A delicious curry? No, raw onions, roughly chopped. “I rarely eat at home. No time,” he explains as he spoons onions into his mouth while his driver honks through the traffic chaos of Lucknow in northern India, home to 2.5 million people. Outside, the air stinks of exhaust and smouldering fires. Inside, tears fill our eyes as we listen to prayer texts from a cassette player. At his City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, Jagdish Gandhi teaches kids how to change the world."

12.       The Chenabians Newsletter (Pakistan), October-November 2007: "It is great honour for me to present to you the “Indian Special” Newsletter. I remember well the auspicious day when an invitation letter from City Montessori Inter College (CMS) Mahanagar, Lucknow left us thrilled to bit. A brochure sent to us by CMS Lucknow turned out to be source of solving the mystery about out unknown hosts. This brochure familiarized us with CMS Lucknow- The largest school of the world with more than 32,000 students on roll in its 20 branches as mentioned in Guinness Book of World Records. City Montessori Inter College (CMS), Mahanagar, Lucknow organized its annual competition in which the students from different educational Institutions of the world participate. This year 74 schools and colleges from India and abroad had the honour of participating in this mega-event- GEOFEST. Within a very short notice, a team of students from Chenab College Jhang was prepared for the competition. On 30th October, 2007, the Chenabians led by the Principal set off for Lucknow (India). The tremendous performance of our students made them win four prizes. We are extremely proud of our students who keep adding a lustre to the name of the college by winning laureis in different competitions in and outside the country. We would like to express our unbounded gratitude to our Indian hosts for their kindness and hospitality."

13.       Article Published on CMS in German Magazine (Germany), 7th May, 2006: "Gandhi in some ways resembles his namesake—the 71-year-old is slight but energetic and wears dark-rimmed glasses. He’s also carrying on Mahatma Gandhi’s work through his City Montessori School, which has more than 32,000 pupils scattered among 20 buildings throughout Lucknow. Every three to four years, Gandhi founds a new branch school, because yet again they’re bursting at the seams. Will he someday have 100,000 pupils? “Possibly,” he says. “As many as possible.” But Gandhi wants to do more than teach reading and writing: He wants to change the world."

14.       Roll of Honour The Week (India), 7 November, 1999: ""When Jagdish Gandhi and his wife Bharti founded the City Montessori School (CMS) with a borrowed sum of Rs 300, they could find no student. A fortnight later, a neighbors agreed to send her five children. Thus, the school opened on July 1, 1959. Today, with more than 31,000 pupils, it is world largest school as per Guinness Book of Records."

15.       Research study conducted by Indian Institute of Management (IIM),Lucknow (India), March-June 2003: "This study was conducted by Mr. Nitin Agarwal (B.Tech., ITT, Delhi, 2002) and by Mr. Tarun Raj (IIT, Kanpur, 1999) who were pursuing a degree in management from the world famous Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow. As a compulsory component of their work towards the degree, they had to present an innovative project. The research and quality of this project went a long way in the grade they would obtain from the Indian Institute of Manager (IIM). Their project was titled Incorporation of Moral Values and Emotional Intelligence in the Present Education System."

16.       Education World The Human Development Magazine (India), August, 2007: "City Montessori School is right up there among the country's toprated schools in terms of academic reputation (8.16) and quality of teachers (7.95), while being rated 7 plus on all other parameters to average 7.72. "While it's an honour to be rated so high among India's most respected schools, it's hardly a surprise to our faculty since the quality of education provided in City Montessori is respected beyond Indian borders,” said Dr Jagdish Gandhi."

• Focus on Report Cards of Life
• The Power of Prayer
• Why Not Have A Universal Place of Worship?
• Religion and Duty
• Importance of Introspection
• The Role of Religion
• Followers of All Religions Should Pray Together For World Peace
• Open the Door of Inner Self!
• Education that does not guide the destiny of life is not complete
• Change of heart necessary for world peace
• God, religion and man
• Satsang-Association and Interaction on Spiritualism
• Education and God
• World Today—Concerns and Needs
• Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam

Dr Gandhi, the founder of CMS, Guinness World record holder the largest city school in the world, feels it his moral responsibility to work for the rights and welfare of world's two billion children and generations yet-to-be-born Therefore, Dr Gandhi has been striving relentlessly to persuade the world's political leaders and heads of national judiciaries to take up the children's cause and to ensure that their right to inherit a safe and healthy future is protected.  

Against prevalent norms that focus on narrow nationalism, his school adopted the clarion call of ‘Jai Jagat’ – ‘Hail the World’, not ‘Jai Hind’ – ‘Hail India’, the prevalent greeting. He vowed to create through education world citizens endowed with a global mindset who cannot imagine conflict and war, and who become, in addition, proactive agents of unity in the world. Using a multi-pronged approach and inspired by the vision to make school a lighthouse of society, he began to educate not only the children but also parents and society at large. As a result, all began to witness the remarkable benefits of such a comprehensive approach on their children’s mindset. Parents and the population at large began to buy into his ideas on education for unity, as he firmly believes peace is a by-product of unity. Initially, parents would object to such programmes as the All Religions Prayer in which children recite prayers on the same platform from all scriptures, along with messages of unity of religions. Gradually, parents began to see these as important in today’s conflict-ridden world. Lucknow itself has seen many conflicts based on religion, for example, between Shia and Sunni Muslims and between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims.

Against this backdrop, the training provided by CMS to its children has served as the perfect antidote to the crises, the impact of which is clear over time. For example, in December 1992, when the Babri Masjid (mosque) was demolished by Hindu fundamentalists in Ayodhya, a city close to Lucknow, there were killings throughout India, and especially in the State of Uttar Pradesh of which Lucknow is the Capital. Even with skeletal presence of police force in Lucknow – majority of which was diverted to Ayodhya – the city of Lucknow escaped violence. As many eyewitnesses have documented, the relative peace and calm in Lucknow has been credited to the enduring impact of CMS education on the city of Lucknow and to their proactive role in conflict prevention and containment. For example, thousands of students of CMS and their parents braved the tense atmosphere in the city and went in convoys and processions singing songs of unity and carrying banners with slogans such as: “We Should Live in Unity,” “The Name of God is Both Muslim and Hindu,” “God Is One, Mankind is One,” etc., which melted the hearts of many extremists. (European Centre for Conflict Prevention, 1999 and 2005, and Oxford Research Group, 2001).

At the macro level, leveraging the fact that CMS is the world’s largest single school, Dr Jagdish Gandhi has crafted meaningful initiatives to create a wider set of circumstances for peace and conflict prevention at the local, national, regional and international levels. These include, among others:

·         A bold Indo-Pak children’s friendship initiative which has created better trust between children and teenagers even when tensions have been high between the two neighbouring countries. Thousands of children and teenagers on both sides of the border have been brought together by one-to-one contact through pen-friendship and further by facilitating visits between children of the two countries for sports and other activities organized by CMS.

·         32 international events organized annually for the past three decades that have brought together children and teenagers from all corners of India and the globe, to assemble on one platform and experience through cross-cultural interaction, discourse, living together and experience, even as the children compete with each other in mathematics, computers, robotics, astronomy, music, the arts and more,

·         An extensive media campaign through radio and cable television with a daily telecast of  unity in diversity and coexistence messages conveyed in an effective format using children as the common denominator; and,

·         The initiation and continuation of nine unique and unprecedented International Conferences of the Chief Justices of the World, influenced by which the chief justices in many countries have become more proactive on these very issues.

Dr Gandhi has gone beyond the confines of his school and the city, to seek other avenues that address the wider issues surrounding the safety of children worldwide. He has written to the UN, the world’s leadership and countless others, raising awareness for the need to create a world safe for children. Dr Jagdish Gandhi has, in addition, challenged the world’s judiciary and invited them to come together and deliberate on these issues. Commenced in 2001, CMS just concluded its 10^th most historic, International Conference of the Chief Justices of the World, bringing together representatives of judiciary through this period from over ninety two countries. This would be an incredible achievement for any government to organise, let alone for a school in Lucknow, India. As a result of his consistent and relentless effort, CMS has become known for its unity education and the motto of Jai Jagat – Hail the World – has reached far corners of the world, for example, as mentioned in the citation which accompanied the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education CMS received in 2002 (becoming quite surprisingly, the world’s first school to receive such recognition in the Awards’ history). As a result of this award, many countless individuals and schools worldwide have become more committed to the goals of peace education and a school has become a model to the world on how to build these very ‘defenses of peace in the minds of men’, so that children worldwide may be inoculated forever from thoughts of communal and religious hate and conflict, and who from the earliest childhood may consider everyone as a brother or a sister. 

A visionary and a far-sighted person, Jagdish Gandhi has been building bridges of peace across the globe for nearly 51 years. Jagdish Gandhi believes in the innate goodness of every living being. He is an educationist like no other. His approach to problems which seem insurmountable is simple but effective. His every action is guided by a very strong sense of divinity and spirituality and hence his every effort is arrived at improving the self and realizing the presence of the Almighty. Dr Jagdish Gandhi, through his noble deeds and conduct, has always demonstrated the trust he has placed in people, displaying that human generosity that opens up the mind and heart and so often leads to the accomplishments of major achievements at the very frontiers of what is possible.

Dr Jagdish Gandhi speaks regularly on several international and national TV channels like Aastha TV, Azad News Channel, Jan Sandesh Channel, Channel One News Channel, CMS Local Channel. His spiritual talks are viewed by millions of his fans who stay glued to the television to hear him.

Dr Jagdish Gandhi has been invited by many renowned institutions like Bhrama Kumari University, Mount Abu, Symbioses Institute of Management, Pune, Karorimal Collage, The Jubilee School by King Hussain Foundation, Jordan, Club of Lucknow, etc.