Over twenty-five years of shaping India's finest schools — and the young people within them — through academic rigour, deep pastoral care, and a conviction that every child deserves an education that sees them whole.
Dr. Mona Khanna earned her doctorate from the University of Delhi in space dynamics, studying libration points — the rare positions between celestial bodies where competing forces hold each other in perfect equilibrium. It is a fitting beginning for an educator whose life's work has been finding balance: between academic excellence and emotional wellbeing, tradition and innovation, ambition and care.
Across more than twenty-five years, she has served India's most respected educational institutions — eleven years at The Doon School, leadership of Unison World School as Vice Principal and later Principal, and the founding principalship of Vandya International School, which she built from an empty site into a school of 250 students in its very first year.
Today, as Principal of Heritage Xperiential Learning School, Sector 62, Gurugram, she leads one of the country's most progressive experiential learning communities — bringing to it a rare combination of scholarly depth, administrative command, and genuine warmth for every child in her charge.
Curriculum design and instructional leadership across ICSE, ISC, CBSE, IB and Cambridge boards — as teacher, examiner, IB coordinator and head of institution.
Two decades of residential care — from a hundred boys at The Doon School to 450 residential students at Unison — with formal training in pastoral care, counselling and special education needs.
From founding a school from the ground up — vision, buildings, curriculum, faculty — to strengthening established institutions through fair appraisal systems, staff development and strategic planning.
Founding master-in-charge of The Doon School's slum school project and a National Literacy Mission facilitator — a career-long commitment to children beyond her own school's gates.
Leading one of India's foremost experiential learning schools — driving academic excellence and holistic development across a vibrant, progressive community.
Current RoleLed a residential school of 450+ girls and 400 staff — setting institutional vision, managing budgets and operations, and designing outreach programmes across India and abroad.
Built a school from the ground up — vision and mission, campus and curriculum design, faculty recruitment, governance — enrolling 250+ students before the inaugural year began.
Founded from ScratchOversaw academics, pastoral care and staff development at one of India's leading residential schools for girls.
Eleven years at India's most storied boys' school — Head of Mathematics, Extended Essay Coordinator, Assistant IB Coordinator, and housemistress responsible for over a hundred boys. Directed a dozen student theatre productions and ran the school magazine.
11 YearsLed mathematics teaching across IB and CBSE curricula.
Began her leadership journey the same year she earned her doctorate.
Dr. Khanna's doctoral research in celestial mechanics examined the existence and stability of libration points — the equilibrium positions in the restricted three-body problem — published in the Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics.
Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Mathematics, 29(10): 1011–1023 · October 1998
Read the Paper ↗Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Mathematics, 30(7): 721–733 · July 1999
Read the Paper ↗Case study · Institute of Education, University College London
Founding Master-in-charge of The Doon School's outreach school for underprivileged children — bringing structured education to families in Dehradun's slum communities.
Master-in-charge and facilitator of literacy programmes for underprivileged children in local slums, in collaboration with Gyanodaya NGO of Meerut.
For speaking engagements, educational consultation, or professional correspondence.
drmonakhanna@gmail.com