NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and experiences in the military. Some viewers may find elements of this talk to be alienating or objectionable. We've flagged this talk because it falls outside the content guidelines TED gives TEDx organizers. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfRetd. Col. Gopal Karunakaran shares five integral life lessons he learned from serving in the Indian Army. Col. Gopal Karunakaran is a senior advisor at the Shiv Nadar Foundation. His belief in education being a tool for social transformation has driven him to absorb a rich and diverse experience across all facets of school education, including policy, academic leadership, operations, and business; and has helped him gain important perspectives on the key drivers of the education sector in India. He has been a member of the National Committee of Education of the Confederation of Indian Industries since 2008. A graduate of the National Defence Academy, Col. Karunakaran spent thirty years in the Indian Army – ten of which were in the insurgency region of Kashmir, including the Siachen Glacier. While with the Army, he was chosen for the United Nations Mission in Kuwait in a multilateral and multicultural environment.He is an M.Phil. and an M.A. from the University of Madras. He joined Shiv Nadar Foundation in 2011. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx