Ahalya Chari (1921-30 March 2013) was an Indian educationist[1][2] and the first commissioner of the Kendriya Vidyalaya chain of schools, a system of education under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) India.
[3] Her efforts are recognised towards the establishment of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan,[3] an autonomous body under the MHRD, attending to the educational needs of the children of transferable central government employees.
Settling in Benares, she did her master's degree at Benaras Hindu University and started her career in 1943[8] as a lecturer at the Vasanta College for Women,[9] where she worked for 10 years.
[9] At this time, she received a Fulbright Scholarship for further studies in the United States where she spent two years and returned to CIE in 1953[9] as a member of the faculty.
[3][6] During her time at NCERT, she launched a 'Reading Project' and prepared read-ready materials for inculcating reading habits in children and was instrumental in redesigning the school syllabi.