31st July 2010 - The Scindia School

QILA
QUOTES
The Scindia School quarterly Vol 8 | JUL 2010
"The T-shirt on the tree depicts the growth of a tree like a human being. In today's world, we curtail their growth and even the chances
of their survival. The shirt signifies that the Scindians will protect them and let them live." - Jivitesh Mazumdar, the Artist

principal’s message 04
editorial
students’ achievements
old boys’ news
alumni section
Rain water harvesting on Gwalior Fort
By Atul Dev, Ex Md ’5
05
08
09
10
The Founder
Maharaja Madhavrao
Jayaji Rao Scindia
Mr Dinesh Madhwal (HM of Jayappa house) involving the students in the beautification of the house
Board of Governors
President
H.H. Maharaja Jyotiraditya
M. Scindia
Members
Shrimant Rajmata Madhaviraje
Scindia
Mr. Vinay Kumar Modi
Mr. Mahesh Gandhi
Mr. Arun Kanodia
Mr. Harpal Singh
Mr. Rajendra S. Pawar
Mr. Arun Kapur
Mr. Kapil Dev
Mr. Bharat V Patel
Mr. Anurag Bansal
Mr. Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar
Secretary/Principal
Mr. Samik Ghosh
Vice - Principal
Mr. Jayant Tengshe
Bursar
Lt. Col. Jayant Rao
Scindia Old Boys' Association
President
Lt. Gen S.P.S. Dhillion
Vice President
Mr. Vikram Mathur
Mr. Gopal Bhargava
Treasurer
Mr. K.M. Agarwal
Secretary
Mr. Prashant Gangwal
JT. Secretary
Mr Sandeep Agrawal
School Contact Details
The Scindia School, The Fort,
Gwalior - 474008. MP, INDIA.
Telephone . : +91-751-2480750
Fax : +91-751-2480650
E-mail : office@scindia.edu
Website : www.scindia.edu
2010
july
contents
Sustainable Development
Subhash C Anand, Ex Ja’62
interview
Interview of Mr. A.N. Dar
with Aayush Tandon
faculty
Environmentally Scindian
Col Jayant Rao, Bursar
literary section
Nature's Lesson
Sugandha Shukla, VIII A
The Battle is far from Won
Tuhin Pandey, XI D, Editor in Chief
Debate: Earth hour in schools - mere tokenism
Sidhivinayak Singh, X E
fort fables
Eco Club
13
15
19
22
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information printed in
this edition of Qila Quotes. If an error has occured, please accept our apologies and
contact the editor at pujap@scindia.edu.

from the
principal's desk
The theme for this issue is our concern for the environment. We may not be able to
come up with new solutions to the problems or to identify causes hitherto undiscovered
but it is good to talk and to keep the discussion alive.
As I browsed through the articles of this issue, I went down memory lane to my childhood days at
Santiniketan. Our nature study classes used to be walking lessons. We followed our teacher,Shri
Barin Moulik, around the campus. He helped us identify trees and observe the habitats of various
insects and birds. We were driven by curiosity which over the years transformed into love for the flora
and fauna and an instinctive understanding.
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore introduced Vrikshropan, a ceremony to celebrate nature’s bounties.
In the songs composed for the occasion, he called the tree the flag of victory over the desert. The
saplings to be planted were children who were invited to loving human company. The students
recited short poems seeking the blessings of the five elements for the saplings. Interestingly,
Vrikshropan was followed by Halakarshan, the festival of tilling the soil. They complimented each
other. While Vrikshropan was about caring for Mother Earth, Halakarshan meant going back to her
for our sustenance.
The articles in this edition give us glimpses of the important efforts made at the Fort in the past as
well as the endeavours and concerns of the present generation. A story drives the point home in an
imaginative style.
I hope that the Scindians will always be proactive in protecting the environment wherever they are.
Samik Ghosh
Principal The Scindia School
The Principal shares a few tips about nature photography
with Palaash Bhargava and Rakesh Raushan
04 PRINCIPAL'S
MESSAGE
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Editorial
Academics
Faculty News
Student Exchange
Environment is no more a mere issue. It is a serious concern considering that we have
only one planet to live. We humans have no ethical or moral right to destroy it. This
cameo captures the plight of the Earth and the articles elaborate on what may certainly
befall on us if quick remedial measures are not taken.
The issue also aims to highlight the strides
taken by the school and the students
towards ecological conservation. Being an
environmentally proactive and sensitive school
we use recycled paper for Qila Quotes and
have also done away with its plastic cover.
Rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, campus
cleaning and the activities of the Eco Club all
contribute to sensitizing the students to be in
sync with nature.
The quarter (April-June) began with the classes
VI- VIII preparing for their annual exams. The
entire month remained busy with a number
of interesting activities like the annual English
and Hindi play and the junior house reports.
All students with the exception of classes XI
and XII left the Fort on the 24th of April for the
keenly awaited summer vacations.
Like every year this was the time when the
administrative staff took care of the repair
and renovation of the existing buildings and
various new additions have been made to the
infrastructure. A generator has been installed
in the Junior School. A 100 KV transformer has
been put midway between the School gate and
Mahadji house to prevent drop in voltage. The
roofs of Madhav and Shivaji houses have been
recast with RCC.
Sports generate tremendous excitement among
the Scindians so due attention has been
given to provide better facilities and better
equipment. The turf cover of the cricket pitch
has been extended by 70 feet. An imported
cricket bowling machine has been purchased
for improving our cricket training. A German air
rifle has been purchased for the shooting club.
Appointments have been made to the School
Prefectorial Board. This year some new posts
have been created. It is hoped that each of the
prefects will carry out his assigned duties with
sincerity and dedication thereby assisting in
the smooth functioning of the school.
The Government of Sikkim has decided to
sponsor the education of seven academically
advanced students at The Scindia School. All
expenses related to their tuition, boarding and
lodging fee as well as personal expenses will
be borne by the Government.
Competitions
The School hosted the 8th H.H. Maharaja
Madhavrao Scindia Memorial Cricket
Tournament. Eight schools participated in the
cricket extravaganza. Each day the spectators
got to see great display of cricketing excellence.
The tournament was won by Modern School,
Delhi in a keenly contested final match against
YPS Patiala. The tournament was played on a
thirty over format.
Cyber Scindia hosted an Inter School IT
based event Suryodaya ’10. Ten participating
schools took part in competitions like Web Site
Designing, Multimedia Presentation, Digital
Photography and Editing, Computer Assembly,
C++ Programming, Composite Video Making
and Gaming event (counter strike). The overall
Suryodaya Fest running trophy for excellence in
IT was awarded to The Scindia School.
The Prefectorial Board 2010-11
Principal Mr. Samik Ghosh with the students of
The Scindia School HH Cricket team
The Scindians with the Suryodaya Fest trophy
Students of class XI during the summer camp Faculty members at the offsite programme Yashraj Nain, Ujjaval Agarwal and Mr R.K. Kapoor
in London
The summer camp initiative that began last
year for class 12 was extended to class 11
students this year. As would be recalled, the
major reason to shift from winter study camp to
summer camp was to be able to complete as
much syllabus as possible before the summer
holidays. As we saw, this had two benefits:
students could then utilize the holidays to
revise portions or prepare ahead. Secondly,
the entire syllabus would then be finished by
around November end every year thus offering
teachers adequate time for revision and for
practising model papers. As class XI and XII
curricula are closely linked roping in class
XI students in this initiative was considered
necessary. Accordingly they reported after a
short break following their board examinations
and underwent two weeks of rigorous summer
camp. There was sufficient seriousness among
all the students and much was achieved as per
the targets and intentions.
Soon the board results also came in. This year
there was a major change as regards class 10
result pattern as grades were awarded instead
of marks. Our students have done rather well
in most subjects, particularly in English and
Social Studies. Five of our students were on
compartment.
The class 12 students have performed
extremely well in some subjects and not
so well in a few other subjects. Teachers of
Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics were
quite disappointed with the results whereas
Psychology, Multimedia and Biology had
cause to celebrate. The commerce stream
obtained good results as every year except for
Economics.
Mr R.K. Kapoor went to Woodbridge School U.K.
on a regular teacher exchange programme. He
went there to create a platform which would
help both the schools to work in a collaborative
environment for various subjects. This objective
has been achieved. We’ll soon start with active
collaboration in chess and fine art which will
be followed by English and History.
Mr Vishesh Sahai went on a teacher exchange
to Ellesmere College, Shropshire, UK. He taught
economics, assisted in the tennis academy
and the cricket set. During his stint there he got
exposed to different teaching methodologies
and approaches. He returns with increased
motivation, refreshed enthusiasm and energy
for teaching which will benefit the school and
the students.
The entire staff went for an offsite programme
to Bhopal. For three days the entire faculty
spent long hours going over the success and
failures of the year gone by and planning
teaching learning strategies for the coming
term. The staff also enjoyed a wonderful get
together organised by SOBA Bhopal.
obituary
Nine students went on an exchange to schools
in different parts of U.K. The exchange proves
to be a valuable learning tool as the students
get exposed to multi faceted approaches to
acquisition of knowledge. The experience of
staying in a new culture helps broaden their
social horizons. The students have come back
with enhanced self confidence.
Initiatives
The school took up an initiative with the
support of the Old Boys to give opportunities
to the students of Class XII to gain experience
of actual professional life during the summer
vacation. Ten boys worked in diverse fields
gaining first hand experience of the area of
their choice like stock broking, export, printing
technology and metal work. They found it a very
enriching experience. We wish to continue with
this in the future.
With profound grief we mourn the sad demise of Mr. B.K. Singh, former
teacher and House Master (Jeevaji House). May his soul rest in peace.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to all the family members.
Siddharth Bansal with Rahul Bhargava
(Ex Jyotiba ’04) during the summer internship
There is a firm resolve among students and
faculty to produce much better results for the
coming year. Increase in the number of working
days in 2010-11 and an extra hour being
added to the daily academic time table will
make a difference.
06 EDITORIAL
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Students'
Achievements
Sheetal Verma (ExRn’10) and Arjun Saraswat (ExRn’10) have been awarded 100% scholarship
by the University of Westminster. Sheetal will be pursuing B.Sc. Accountancy and Management
while Arjun will be pursuing B.A. - Business Management, Human Resources Management
Kush Singh, Devavrat Pawar and Vaibhav Kirar
hoisting the School flag at Mount Sitidhar
As part of the PASCH project (Schulen Partner
der Zukunft), Aayush Tandon and Asad Khan
Chowdhary went on a 100% scholarship to
Wallbeck in Germany. They spent three weeks
there attending workshops and seminars
with a view to enhancing their proficiency in
the German language. It was an enriching
experience for both as apart from honing their
language skills they also got exposed to the
culture of the host country.
__________________________________
Aayush Tandon and Sidhivinayak Singh
participated in the Inter School debate hosted
by Daly College. Aayush stood first in the
debate and the school team bagged the first
position.
__________________________________
As part of The Duke of Edinburgh Expedition,
this year the students were scheduled to scale
Fluted Peak in Lahaul Spiti Valley, but due
to inhospitable weather conditions the team
finally decided to climb mount Sitidhar which
was comparatively safer.
The team members of the Mountaineering
Expedition were Devavrat Pawar, Vaibhav
Singh Kirar, Kush Singh, Rachit Dhamawat,
Mohit Agarwal, Anubhav Sarkar, Bharat
Khanna, Vikram Bengani, Siddharth Bansal,
Harshwardhan Singh Muktawat and Rishabh
Jain. They were escorted by Mrs. Raksha Siriah
and Mr. Dhirendra Sharma.
__________________________________
The winning team of the Daly College Debate with
Mr Sumer Singh, Principal Daly College
Aayush Tandon and Asad at Walbeck with friends
Sheetal Verma (Ex Rn ’10) and
Arjun Saraswat (Ex Rn ’10)
The members of the Mountaineering Expedition
08 STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENTS
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Old Boys' News
It is a matter of pride for all Scindians that Mr. Bharat Patel (Ex Md ’61) Board
Member and Madhav Awardee (2005), has been appointed Advisor to the
Chairman, Indian Premier League. We are certain that with Mr. Patel’s intervention
the tournament will bring glory to the game of cricket in future.
Rain water harvesting
on Gwalior Fort
Not many are aware of the engineering foresight that was shown by the rulers and military
leaders of early 15th century when they conceived of and built the Gwalior Fort.
Mr Bharat Patel (Ex Md ’61)
HH Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia flagging
off the car rally
SOBA-North America Get together at New York
09
OLD BOYS'
NEWS
VOL 8 | Jul 2010
A SOBA car rally took place from 2nd to 4th
April, 2010. On the 2nd, all the participants
assembled at the National Sports Club of
India, New Delhi. Car numbers, stickers, T-shirts,
caps and rally kits were distributed. The rally
was flagged off by HH Maharaja Jyotiraditya
Scindia, Lt Gen SPS Dhillon, Mr. SK Rungta
- Chairman SAIL, Mr. Bajoria (Ex-Scindian) -
Director JK Tyres and in charge of motor sports,
and Tutu Dhawan- President FMSCI.
All 62 cars reached Tarangi resorts at 5:30
pm after a 345 Kms run through villages, dirt
tracks and off beaten tracks. In the evening,
the lawns of Tarangi witnessed a party where
the results of the first day were announced.
On the 3rd, the rally was flagged off from
Tarangi at 9:00 am for a 99 Kms run in the
hills with loops and teasers. It flagged down at
Tarangi at 1:00 pm. The second day’s results
were announced during the evening party. The
final results and prize distribution took place
over drinks, dinner, music and dancing beside
the river Kosi.
Participants came from Gwalior, Jhansi,
Dholpur, Agra, Jaipur, Moradabad, Kanpur and
the NCR and were from the batches of 1955
to 2009!
Winners
1st Mr. Rajeshwar Tyagi, Ex Ravindra ’65
2nd Mr. Harmit Singh, Ex Md ’98
3rd Mr. Pawan Bansal, Ex Je’73
__________________________________
SOBA- NA planned a Happy Hour Get Together
on May 19th at the K Lounge in New York.
Being close to a long weekend vacation, the
turnout was modest. What made the evening
more interesting was presence of Alumni of
Daly College and Mayo College also.
Just before breaking for the evening, SOBA
Golf enthusiasts A Khanna and A Mandhle
expressed keen interest to help host a SOBA/
Pan Public Golf Outing in the summer in the
New York / New Jersey area. Looking at the
keen response to Golf in SOBA community in
Delhi and also as a stir to keep the Pan Public
Alumni mingling alive, this is an idea whose
time is not too far off in the future!!
__________________________________
Yatin Singhal(Ex Rn’07) who went on a
100% scholarship to Westminster University,
London to pursue a course in Biotechnology
has passed out with a first class degree.
He is now joining the internationally
renowned pharmaceutical company Novartis
Pharmaceuticals in Liverpool, U.K.
__________________________________
Yatin Singhal (Ex Rn ’07)
Not many are aware of the engineering
foresight that was shown by the rulers and
military leaders of early 15th century when
they conceived of and built the Gwalior Fort.
The location of the Fort is unique in that it is
located on a 100 metre high hill that overlooks
and dominates the main route from the North
Indian plains to Central India and further South
to the Deccan Plateau.
Interestingly enough Gwalior Fort was not
built where there was a river, like the Forts at
Agra or Delhi or elsewhere, but where military
needs dictated. It is also clear that water is
one commodity that cannot be created and
humanity cannot live without it. A Fort would
need water to sustain its troops and other
people. The then rulers were well aware of the
existence of Suraj Kund, an 8th century water
tank on top of this strategically located hill.
It was after drinking the water from this tank
that the Rajput chieftain, Suraj Sen or Suraj
Pal, is believed to have been cured of a deadly
disease on the advice of Saint Gwalipa, after
whom Gwalior city is named. The presence
of Suraj Kund, with its perennial supply of
water, may have encouraged the then rulers
to consider the construction of Gwalior Fort
on top of this hill with its location providing a
strategic advantage.
The beloved Fort- we want to keep it green
Numerous water tanks of the Fort were
built of a size and at a location that they
remained perennial sources of water. The water
availability in these ‘taals’ was estimated to
cater to 15,000 persons living inside the Fort.
I still recall with nostalgia names of the various
‘taals’ on the Fort – Suraj Kund, Singhara Taal,
Khamba Taal, Jauhar Tank near Gurjari Mahal,
Gangola Taal, Rani Taal, Cheri Taal and Dhobi
Taal, to name a few!
The designers of these ‘taals’ simply used the
ancient wisdom of collecting rainwater during
the monsoons and using it for the entire
year. It should be remembered that it is not
feasible for armies to be located inside any
Fort for taking up defence and yet to remain
dependent on water from outside sources.
At Gwalior Fort the problem was even more
acute due to its height above the surrounding
areas. There was no ground water that one
could turn to. One was entirely dependent on
collection, storage and judicious use of the
rain water that fell during the rainy season. The
‘taals’ have been designed to hold water and
not charge the aquifer, as happens in case of
check dams or ‘johads’.
Gwalior has an average of 88-90 cm of rain
every year. The skill lies in making sure that
this rain water does not run off and get wasted.
Thus one needed to have well prepared
catchments which would funnel the water into
the tanks made at selected sites. Unfortunately,
at present many of these catchments around
the ‘taals’ have been encroached upon thus
reducing the catchment surface areas. The
preservation and use of this water was the
second problem. Note how the ‘taals’ in the
Fort are all lined water tanks. These lined tanks
prevent loss of water due to seepage and are
easy to clean during the dry season just before
the monsoons.
Gwalior Fort provides the
very best example of what
the country can emulate
for enriching their water
availability through rain
water harvesting.
By Atul Dev
Ex Md ’55
(Atul Dev is currently a very active Rotarian who
is involved with a series of water harvesting
projects in Rajasthan.)
10 Alumni
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Sustainable
Development
Damage to the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide
improvements in the standard of living.
Dr B.S. Bhakuni supervising the campus cleaning activity at the Surajkund
Whilst travelling to Mussoorie on my last visit
to India, I was horrified to notice the extent
of damage deforestation had caused and
noticed that the hills that had once been lush
and green were now so bare and their top soil
eroded to such an extent that it caused the
rain water to flow freely thereby flooding the
plains during the monsoons.
I soon realized that this phenomenon was
nothing new to an emerging country so hungry
to use all its resources for its economic growth
that it blatantly ignored the damage it was
causing with disastrous consequences to the
environment.
Regrettably, over the past 50-60 years there is
very little change in our attitudes and lifestyles
to rectify the damage to the environment
which is now a global problem. This has to be
addressed not only by the rich industrialised
nations but also by the third world and
especially the emerging nations such as India
and China which have now become the largest
air polluters and users of the earth resources
especially fossil fuel.
We now know that climate change will have
a major effect on our environment over the
next 20-30 years as we continue to demand
more of our natural resources. But, by taking
the right steps over the next few years, we
can create a better, healthier environment.
This means a better quality of life overall.
However, this can only be achieved by joint
efforts of all communities and educating our
young generation. This will eventually help cut
emissions of greenhouse gases and protect our
natural environment more widely.
If we start taking action now, together we can
achieve our objectives and secure a better
future for the generations to come. The natural
environment will improve considerably.
Pollution will be reduced, so water, soil and
air will be cleaner and of a better quality than
they are today. Habitat, both on land and in
the sea will be better protected, wildlife will
flourish and the extinction of species will slow
down.
That people produce waste is a fact of life,
which we cannot change. Land damage will
continue to rise with the demand for more
housing and agricultural produce. However,
what we can change is how much we produce
and what we do with it. Indeed, managing
waste in a sustainable way - optimising
recycling and re-use, as well as limiting
production- should form the core objective of
our efforts.
Why this is important:
The impact of the way we live today means
that by 2030, global average temperatures
will rise much above today’s average. This
will have a significant global impact. Sea
levels will rise, biodiversity will decline and
the frequency of extreme weather events (e.g.
heat waves, droughts, storms, floods) will
increase; this will lead to natural calamities
and the arrival of new diseases. Extreme
measures will have to be taken to protect
those areas of the world most susceptible
to these changes. We will also be forced
to adapt to a changing climate to promote
healthier, improved lifestyles and enhance
local biodiversity.
Biodiversity is life. It is the variety of all life
on Earth including all species of animals and
plants, and the natural systems that support
them. Biodiversity matters and is hugely
important, not just for its own sake but also
because it underpins the vital benefits we
get from the natural environment, because it
contributes to our economy, our health and
wellbeing, and because it enriches our lives.
But human activity is causing the diversity of
life on Earth to be lost at an alarming rate and
drastic actions are required to slow down this
decline.
By taking action now, we may not only be
able to slow some of the changes to our
environment over the next twenty years but
also help protect against further damage in
the future. We should ensure that the society
as a whole has a greater understanding and
awareness of the fact that the environment is
an essential component of our prosperity and
economic growth. Therefore, we should ensure
that we manage the environment carefully so
that it can continue to provide for us in the
long term, grow and live in a greener society
and thereby support India's ever increasing
population.
If we don't act, soon we will be heading for
an environmental catastrophe. Our future
generations will never forgive us for turning
a blind eye to this global issue and causing
irreversible damage to this beautiful planet
Earth we admire and love so much. The
advice to all inhabitants should be loud and
clear: Change your lifestyle now if you want to
continue to enjoy the benefits that our planet
Earth provides. Otherwise, one day we maybe
extinct like the dinosaurs.
Subhash C Anand
Ex Ja’62
Financial & Business Consultant
12 Alumni
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Interview of
Mr. A.N. Dar
former Principal of The Scindia School, by Aayush Tandon
AT: What qualities should a public
school teacher have
AND: An independent mind, passion for
life and self respect such that he develops
trust and faith in both his students and
colleagues i.e. his community.
This applies not only to public school
teachers but to teachers of any school.
The teacher needs to have passion for
life to give him enough energy to enjoy
his work. Today we talk about all kinds of
schools: public, international, world school
and global, etc., which leaves me utterly
confused. For me teaching is not a job
or a profession but a calling: we should
talk about nurturing that is inclusive of
all and not simply teaching. Teachers in
any school are nurturers, and not just
facilitators. Any nurturer anywhere should
have these qualities.
Several teachers in my days in Scindia,
my school, who were my role modelsincluding
my father had these qualities in
abundance.
AT: You have been a student and the
Principal of the Scindia School.
What did you enjoy more and why
AND: As a student I only dreamt of
being a schoolmaster in Scindia School.
Thank God I didn’t become a master
here because I also dreamt of occupying
the office of the Principal of the Scindia
School and as tradition here is: “Thou
shall not be the Principal of Scindia if you
are a teacher.”
As a student, I enjoyed every moment of
my stay here. As the Principal, it hardly
mattered to me whether I was enjoying or
not for my prime concern was to ensure
that I was successful in putting others in
their zone of comfort. It is for history to
judge whether I lived up to my ideals.
I dreamt of being the Principal of Scindia
School because even as a child I felt that
the direction of Scindia School needed
correction and my colleagues, my board,
my students all helped me during my
tenure here to achieve what I believed.
AT: You have referred to the
tradition of non Scindians heading
Scindia: What about your successor,
Mr. Nirmal Tewari
AND: That is exactly what I meant that
I have believed in corrections in the
direction of the school. However, Mr. K.C.
Shukla, the second Principal of Scindia
rose from starting here as a warden and
Mr. J. L. Dar became the Principal after
being the VP here. I am certainly happy
that Mr. N. K. Tewari succeeded me.
AT: You used the expression
schoolmaster. According to you,
what is the difference between a
teacher and a schoolmaster
AND: A teacher confines himself to
a subject and text books and a tutor
restricts himself to exams while a
schoolmaster is a mentor i.e. he interacts
with his student in varied ways.
AT: What do you consider as
your most significant moment
in the School
AND: My departure from the Scindia
School at 10:30 a.m. on April 24th, 2000
– the day I turned 60. I was delighted to
hand over the gown to Mr. Tewari in my
office immediately after my last Assembly
at SMoaT.
That was the day I fulfilled my destiny
and the Scindia community bade farewell
to my wife and me. That was the most
significant moment of my life because I
thought my innings were over, unlike many
Indian politicians who linger on and stick
to their chair. I am grateful to the School
that they bade me farewell at the right
time and in the right manner. The moment
had its own dignity. Interestingly, this was
a second farewell for me at Scindia: the
first was in 1958 after I completed my
Intermediate (I had lived here since my
birth) and the next was 42 years later as
the retiring head of Scindia.
Mr A.N. Dar giving a speech after receiving the Madhav Award
AT: Do you think that student
behaviour has changed over the
years
AND: That is what the world believes but I
don’t. At the Old Boys’ Night at the SMoaT
we saw and heard pop music and you
guys danced. Had I been your age I would
have done the same. How can people
think that human behaviour has changed
I think it’s evolution. Basics are just the
same: grow, interact, enjoy – and die. The
behaviour of men is evolving and this is
visible in The Scindia School too.
AT: Which is the first place you like
to visit when you arrive at the Fort
AND: The trouble with me is that I haven’t
divided the School into parts. For me the
world is one place. When I was on the Fort
I wandered. Even in my thoughts I am a
wanderer, a dreamer. Looking down the
Fort wall and walking freely on the roads
– there is history, religion, freedom and
privacy all around. The Fort changes at
dawn, during night, under the starlit sky at
midnight. It is painted in different colours
in summer, in winter or during rains.
Mr Dar handing away a trophy during the athletic meet
AT: How do you feel that now the
Assembly Hall will be adorned with
two of your portraits: one as the
former Principal and the other as a
Madhav Awardee
AND: I feel privileged as the only other
person who has this honour is my
schoolmate and then the President of the
Board of the School: Late His Highness
Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia. Yes, I
also figure in the list of Cariappa Shield
winners. I am really amused because my
name figures in some other boards of the
captains also.
I feel grateful to the Scindia Board and
thank God for giving me the opportunity
to serve my alma mater. I get a feeling of
comfort.
AT: Any message for the young
Scindians
AND: Only one message – be a
schoolmaster, whether at The Scindia
School or some other school. Some of you
should actually aspire to be the Principal
of The Scindia School.
Mr. A. N. dar (Ex Rn ’58)
Principal, The Scindia School 1994-2000
Madhav Awardee, 2009
AT: Aayush Tandon
AND: Mr Amar Nath Dar
14 Interview
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Environmentally Scindian
Scarcity of water in the Scindia School campus has been felt from time immemorial as it is
located on a rocky hillock totally devoid of ground water. The supply of water from the municipal
sources is inadequate. The problem is further compounded by inadequate monsoons.
Even the water reservoirs (Taals) dry up totally,
thereby aggravating the water problem. The
School faces severe water shortage which is
hampering the smooth operation of the School.
When I joined the School in 2004, I took
it up as a challenge to ameliorate the
condition and introduced measures like rain
water harvesting, mechanical ETP, STPs and
improving the capacity of existing Taals at the
Fort. Notwithstanding my efforts, I noticed a
significant loss of trees and greenery during
the summers. Water is supplied to the School
through a 3 stage pumping from the source
due to which the cost of water supply is
significantly high. The daily requirement of
water on the Fort is 3 lakh litres and the water
supplied through the municipality is just about
1 lakh litres.
With a view to having a holistic approach
on water management, we have initiated
novel methods to harness rain water. Apart
from that, we have installed one mechanical
water recycling plant at the dining hall and
two natural water recycling units. I thought of
following in the footsteps of our ancestors and
got opened hitherto hidden water channels on
the Fort to fill rain water into the Khamba Taal,
Cheri Taal and Rani Taal instead of letting rain
water run off the Fort. Modern earth moving
equipment was used to create new collection
channels, baffle walls and bundhs wherever
possible.
Not satisfied with our efforts, I decided that
some revolutionary steps had to be taken to
save the trees and plantation. We hit upon
Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation
or micro irrigation. This is an irrigation method
which significantly minimises the use of water
and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly
to the roots of plants, either onto the soil
surface or directly onto the root zone, through a
network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters.
These are generally used on trees and vine
crops with wider root zones. This irrigation
method was brought to our country from Israel.
Some special features of this scheme are:
(a) Except Agriculture College, no other
organisation in Gwalior has adopted drip
irrigation
(b) The method is being used by the farmers of
Maharashtra who have hands- on training and
experience. No expertise was available here at
Gwalior.
(c) High water application efficiency
(d) Already, most trees and plantations
including teak and gooseberry which we had
planted last year, are looking healthy and full
of life.
Water, energy and environmental issues have
received a major boost with the arrival of Mr.
Samik Ghosh, our Principal, who is keen on
making the school truly green.
energy for the Fort. Apart from augmenting
the energy supply, tapping these renewable
resources will help our school in mitigating
climate change albeit in a small way. Solar
energy could be made financially viable with
government tax- incentives and rebates. We
are looking specifically at the School kitchen
and street lights in the campus; we are already
using solar water heaters in the houses.
With the help of internationally renowned
organisations like TERI (The Energy and
Resources Institute), we plan on the utilisation
of solar energy for various applications
including limited power generation for the
campus. The possibility of harnessing wind
energy, improved methods of water recycling,
further improving the output of our existing
recycling plants and more efficient methods of
rain water harvesting would be other areas of
collaboration.
In conclusion, I would like to mention the oft
repeated words- “The next war is going to be
for water.” With dwindling resources, scanty
rains and global warming, water availability is
going to be a major problem. It has become
extremely essential that we wake up to
this reality and take appropriate measures
like limiting use of water, conservation and
recycling used water before it is too late. We
also need to address the problem of global
warming and educate others about the benefits
of going green.
DRIP IRRIGATION AT THE SICK rooM
CHANNEL FOR THE FLOW OF WATER INTO THE KHAMBA TAAL
DRIP IRRIGATION AROUND DHOBI TAAL
NEW STP PLANT FOR FOUR SENIOR HOUSES
Along with water conservation, we are looking
at the recent developments in the field of
renewable energy systems like solar and wind
Col Jayant Rao
Bursar
16 faculty
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Mr Jawale and the students at the Khamba Taal
17 faculty
VOL 8 | Jul 2010
The students relaxing at the Khamba Taal after a walk around the Fort

Nature's Lesson
The Battle is far from Won.
“Same here. If they go on releasing that grey,
poisonous gas and continue to dirty me, I, too,
will stop my supply of Nitrogen and Oxygen
and fill the atmosphere with harmful gases like
Chlorine and Carbon-dioxide” said Air.
Water agreed “You’re right. We have to take
some action. If they keep polluting and wasting
me, they will have to suffer the consequences.”
He continued, “But humans are ignorant and
they don’t realise their mistake. Don’t you think
that first we should make them realise how
their own actions will become a problem for
them We must give them one last chance”.
“That’s okay, but how will we do that” Land
asked.
“I have an idea. They have created this
alarming situation by mindless use of
Technology. We’ll teach them a lesson in
their own way.” Water replied and whispered
something into their ears. All three of them
giggled and left.
Each of them assumed the form of a human
being and went to a camera shop. From there
they bought a video camera and some video
cassettes. Next they made a documentary film
showing the callousness of humans in their
daily lives which had resulted in pollution and
destruction. Then with the help of video editing
they showed what kind of future the humans
were likely to have if they didn’t mend their
19 Literary
Section
VOL 8 | Jul 2010
Tired of the increasing pollution and the destruction wreaked by mankind,
Land, Air and Water once met to discuss the matter.
Land said “Enough is enough! If they go on digging and polluting me like this,
I’ll not provide humans with food and minerals”.
ways. It was quite an effective video and they
were sure that it would have the desired effect.
The only problem they now had was about
broadcasting it when suddenly Air jumped up
and exclaimed, “I know! I know how we can
do it. The IPL matches are going on now-adays
and people are crazy about them. Today
is the Final and they’ll definitely watch the T.V
tonight”.
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
Land said.
“I’ll disguise as the show manager and
announce that the show will be a bit
delayed and in the mean time we have an
entertainment program for them. And then we
will show our documentary.” replied Air.
“Wow! What a wonderful idea!” Water said,
“Then it is done. We’ll leave for the stadium half
an hour before the match starts.”
At 7:30pm Land, Air and Water left for the
stadium. As per the plan Air disguised herself
as the show manager and Water and Land
became two security guards so that they
could stop anyone from entering the control
room while Air would be at work. On reaching
there they went straight to the control room,
found the show manager and locked him in
the nearby room. Water and Land took their
positions near the door and Air set the film on
the screen. Exactly at 8:00pm she took hold
of the speaker and announced “Ladies and
Gentlemen, we are very sorry that the match
has to be delayed for some time.” There were
groans and angry murmurs. Air continued, “But
cheer up because we have arranged for an
entertainment program for all of you. We hope
you enjoy it.” And with this she pressed the play
button and the movie started.
The people saw it in silence and you could
make out that they were affected by it. When
the movie finished there was a lot of noise
which wasn’t of anger or dissatisfaction,
instead it was of concern and serious
discussion. The people were wondering who
had prepared this documentary film and
wanted to praise the makers but there was no
sign of Air, Water and Land.
The real show manager managed to get out of
the room and exclaimed when he looked at
his watch. “Oh my God! It’s 8:30pm! I won’t
spare the person who locked me in but right
now I should start the show. It’s already very
late.” And so the match started but people went
home discussing more about the increasing
pollution and what they could do about it than
the IPL match.
Sugandha Shukla
VIII A
A student volunteer clearing the grass
With as much attention as the environment has
been getting lately, you would think that we’d
be further along in our fight to preserve the
beautiful diversity of nature and the resources
available to us. Unfortunately, things aren’t
that rosy. In fact, many of the environmental
problems that have received the most public
attention are even worse than we thought
– from destruction of the rain forests to the
melting glaciers of the Arctic. We have got a lot
of work to do.
Mammal Extinction
One in four mammals is threatened with
extinction. That’s 25%, a huge number that will
completely change the ecology of every corner
of the earth.
If you think the extinction of an animal like
the beautiful Iberian Lynx is no big deal,
and wouldn’t have much of an effect on the
planet, then think again. Not only would we be
losing so much of the awe-inspiring diversity
of nature, mass extinctions like this would
cause a serious imbalance in the world’s food
chain. Many people fail to realize just how
interconnected all species on this planet really
are.
Destruction of the Rain Forests
'Saving the rain forest' has been at the
forefront of the environmental movement
for decades, yet here we are facing huge
losses in the Amazon and other rain forests
all the same. You might have thought that,
with all the attention the rain forest has got,
it wouldn’t need so much saving anymore
– but unfortunately, global warming and
deforestation mean that half of the Amazon
rain forest will likely be destroyed or severely
damaged by 2030.
Polar Sea Ice Loss
Polar sea ice is melting at an unprecedented
rate, and it’s not showing any signs of abating.
It is perhaps the most dramatic, the most
startling visual evidence of global warming,
and it’s got scientists rushing to figure out just
how big an effect the melting is going to have
on the rest of the world. British researchers
said last week that the thickness of sea ice in
the Arctic decreased dramatically last winter
for the first time since records began in the
early 1990s. The research showed a significant
loss in thickness of the northern ice cap after a
record loss of ice during the summer of 2007.
CO 2
Levels in the Atmosphere
The aforementioned polar sea ice loss is yet
another sinister sign of carbon dioxide levels
building up in the atmosphere – the main
force behind global warming. Greenhouse gas
emissions caused by our modern way of life –
vehicles, power plants, factories, giant livestock
farms – will bring devastating climate change
within decades if they stay at today’s levels.
Average temperatures could increase by as
much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit by the end
of the century if emissions continue to rise,
a figure that would easily make the world
virtually uninhabitable for humans. A global
temperature rise of just 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit
would have catastrophic consequences like the
weather extremes that would result in food as
well as water shortages and destructive floods.
Population Explosion
Whether we like to admit it or not, our very own
rapidly multiplying presence on this planet is
the biggest environmental problem, and it’s
getting bigger by the minute. We voraciously
consume resources, pollute the air and water,
tear down natural habitats, introduce species
into areas where they don’t belong and destroy
ecosystems to the point of causing millions of
species to become endangered and, all too
often, extinct.
The population has grown more since 1950
than in the previous four million years. We are
roughly adding 74 million people to the planet
every year, a scary figure that will probably
continue to increase. All of those mouths will
need to be fed. All of those bodies will need
clean water and a place to sleep. All of the new
communities created to house those people
will continue to encroach upon the natural
world.
All five environmental problems detailed above
are very serious, and we have got to start
treating them in the same serious spirit. There
are NO easy solutions, but the fact is that we
simply can not continue living our lives as if
everything is peachy. These problems aren’t
going to magically resolve themselves. We
should have begun acting generations ago, but
we can’t go back in time, and that means we
have to step up our efforts.
If we want to keep this planet a healthy place
for humans to live – for our children and
grandchildren to exist and enjoy – it is time to
buckle down and do everything in our power to
reverse the damage we have done.
Tuhin Pandey, Editor-in-Chief
XI D
The students involved in Labour work

For
21
VOL 8 | Jul 2010
Earth hour in schools
- mere tokenism
During Earth hour, students spend an enjoyable sixty minutes in the dark, safe in the knowledge
that the life-saving benefits of industrial civilization are just a light switch away. And that feeling is
often mistaken as ‘caring for the mother Earth’. This is what makes the observance of earth hour
in schools, a mere token.
Earth hour in schools is nothing but a futile attempt to ‘Save the planet’. Turning off lights for an
hour is hardly of any consequence. Just think what did we do once the earth hour got over First
of all gave a sigh of relief and then sat under the ‘electrically’ powered fans. This showed that the
effort was worthless.
The earth hour, in fact, does more harm than good. During the earth hour ceremony, we pledged
to only make use of candles and torches for that one hour. But, candles are actually even
worse in creating carbon emissions than electric lights. These emissions are what cause global
warming. As for the torch, dead batteries produce carbon emissions and therefore are bad for the
environment and global warming.
I’d like to conclude by saying that when people think they are doing their part for the environment,
they are actually causing more carbon emissions and destroying the ozone layer. And this shows
that technically, the schools participated in the event without knowing its pros and cons.
It is nothing but mere tokenism similar to days like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s day, Father’s day and
so on which are celebrated to express love for our near and dear ones while expressions of love
should be spontaneous and need not be restricted to an hour or a day.
Earth hour in schools is a mere token to our mother earth. It is just like a card from her children
saying that we care. However that card doesn't carry any meaning at all because we play havoc
with the planet on all other days and hours. What difference would one day, one hour make It is
just a facade, a shame, a mockery.
Sidhivinayak Singh
X E
(The School observed Earth hour on 27th March)
Literary
Section
Against
Let me start by saying, “Let there be no light."
It was exactly 15 minutes past 8 (Indian
standard time) and I was in my hour of
‘voluntary darkness.’ The earth hour, was on.
Now some may see the earth hour in schools
as mere tokenism and question its need. But,
to their misplaced cynicism, I have some valid
justifications.
I ask why not have an earth hour I believe that
such tokenism is needed. Think about it, how
many of us get the time every day to tell our
parents how much we love them How many
times do we acknowledge their presence in our
lives At least on father's or mother's day, we
make some gesture to honour their presence.
Yes, token gestures. But wishing them, thanking
them for their contribution and presence in our
life makes the gesture meaningful.
Similarly, we could debate till the cows come
home, but the fact remains that in this one
hour, there would be no power consumption,
no electricity flowing into unwanted
appliances, no wastage. Whether we like it
or not, the truth remains that we realise the
importance of something only when we feel
its absence. Perhaps in that one hour, we
become conscious of the importance of saving
electricity, the importance of no wastage.
Maybe that one hour makes us aware of our
misuse of electricity and we get ready to make
a fresh beginning on a blank slate.
Though we may not have power in our lives for
that one hour, we do gain more inner power as
conscious human beings! Let’s not demean
the importance of that one hour by calling it
mere tokenism as that one hour of voluntary
darkness is indeed a major step towards a
brighter future.
Fort Fables Eco Club
The Fort denizens can justifiably boast of
growing up with a rich variety of flora and
fauna all around them. From hornbills to green
pigeons and golden orioles, from porcupines
to the common palm civet and pythons, from
ashwagandha to neem chameli and ashtawar,
you name it and the Fort has it. This quite
naturally sensitises the residents towards the
environment and they are ever so keen to do
their bit for its conservation.
A laudable effort in this direction was the
founding of the Eco Club in the year 2000 by
Mrs. Sujata Aslam. After her Mrs. Raksha Siriah
and then Dr. Jyoti Puri held charge of the same.
Presently Ms. Sangeeta Jain and Dr Geeta
Shukla are guiding the Club and its activities.
Mr Jitendra Jawale who has extensive
knowledge of the rich biodiversity of the Fort
has been of active assistance to all of them.
The Club has been creating awareness
amongst the school community about
its immediate environment and global
environmental issues, ever since its inception.
The members of the Club are committed and
enthusiastic about their role.
The Eco Club has undertaken a number of
activities like motivating the students to keep
their surroundings green and clean by extensive
plantation of trees especially near the mess.
Several clean up drives have also been taken
up to motivate students to adopt a life style
focused on minimum waste generation. They
are taught eco friendly concepts such as
source separation of waste, taking the waste
to the nearest disposal point and recycling.
This has been done in collaboration with
the Community Service and Ladies’ Club.
To encourage people to minimise the use of
plastic bags, paper bags are distributed to
parents on every Founder’s Day.
The Club has also been putting up regular
exhibitions for the Founder’s Day from the
year 2000 onwards. Some of them centred
on themes of water, extinct and endangered
species, curtailing use of plastics, herbs found
on the Fort, birds and sustainable development
Activities like essay writing, poster making,
slogan writing competitions, making Power
Point Presentation, posting eco news on notice
boards are undertaken on a regular basis to
keep the message of conservation alive. The
Club has been instrumental in getting waste
bins placed at all strategic points on the Fort.
T-Shirts with suitable slogans and cards of
handmade paper made by children were put
on sale to generate funds for the Club.
The Club also organised visits of eminent
people like Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna, Mr.
Aniruddha Mukherjeee from the Wildlife Trust
of India, Mr. Rakesh Jaiswal from a Kanpur
based NGO- Eco Friends- and Dr. Singh,
an ornithologist working with the Chambal
Sanctuary, to name a few.
From time to time, students are taken on visits
to nearby places like the Chambal Sanctuary,
Tigra Dam, bird watching and walks around the
Fort. Nature walks have been a regular feature
wherein students have been made aware of the
indigenous flora and fauna. Students are able
to identify more than thirty species of birds
here. The various types of trees growing here
have been recorded. Members have also been
given wide-ranging information about different
trees- the nurturing they require, the value of
their parts, the kind (warm\cool) of shade they
provide and so on.
In addition to this commendable work, the
students also participated regularly in the
Green Olympiad (Eco quiz) organized by TERI.
In 2005, five students took part in National
Children’s Science Congress – Harness Water
Resources for a Better Future- and reached the
final stage.
The Surajkund Solid Waste Management
Project which was a Pilot project for the
Surajkund area to be replicated in the whole
school was appreciated by Volvo Adventure in
2003 by giving an award. The Project aimed at
creating awareness about the 3 R’s –reduce,
reuse and recycle. A power point presentation
for the residents of Suraj Kund, a street play,
a detailed plan for waste disposal, covered
bins in front of the residences, compost pits
behind the residences, a well chalked out
timeline, distribution of dustbins and jute bags
to the residents were some of the activities
undertaken as part of the Project. The students-
Vijaylaxmi Pande, Anirbed Baruah, Shreyansh
Divyankar, Vikramaditya Malladeb and
Shubham Madaan- and the teacher guide, Mrs
Sujata Aslam were awarded Certificates. A cash
prize of Rs. 35,000 was given to the school. We
stood second among 27 schools in India.
We are sure that the members of the Club will
continue with their dedicated work and take
the Club from strength to strength leaving a
rich heritage for the future inhabitants of the
Fort.
Mrs. Raksha Siriah and Mrs. Sujata Aslam with the
students during a tree plantation drive
22 Fort
Fables
VOL 8 | Jul 2010

Students’ Midas touch to beautify the School
Editorial Board
Staff Editor English
Staff Editor Hindi
Editor in Chief
Senior Editors
Art Editor
Associate Editors
Correspondents
Photography
Special Thanks
Ms. Puja Pant
Dr. B.S. Bhakuni
Ms. Raksha Siriah
Tuhin Pandey
Kartikeya K. Bhargava
Rishabh Jain
Ujjawal Agarwal
Pratik Bhalotia
Aditya Sharma
Neil Savargaonkar
Rohan Seth
Pranav Darshan
Manas Pant
Sansrisht Bhatia
Sugandha Shukla
Saksham Kapoor
Mr. Dinesh Siriah
Devyash Gangwal
Ms. Sujata Aslam
Mr. R.K. Kapoor
Mr. Jitendra Jawle
THE SCINDIA SCHOOL
The Fort Gwalior - 474008
MP, INDIA.
Telephone : +91-751-2480750
Fax : +91-751-2480650
Email : office@scindia.edu
Website : www.scindia.edu
Old Boys' Site : www.scindiaoldboys.com
Designed by STUDIO PRINT | info@studioprint.in | +91 99100 90095