6th January 2009 - The Scindia School

QILA
QUOTES
The Scindia School quarterly Vol 6 | Jan 2010

principal’s message 04
editorial
05
students achievements
08
old boys’ news
09
message board
10
Reminiscences
alumni section
12
Global Ecology & human psychology
By Manik Mahajan, Ex Sh left in ’93 after class X
THE SPIRITUAL COLUMN
Honore S Prasad, Ex Ja ’79
The Founder
Maharaja Madhavrao
Jayaji Rao Scindia
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
Mrs. Sujata Kulshreshtha
Mr. Arun Kapur
Mr. Kapil Dev
Mr. Bharat V Patel
Mr. Anurag Bansal
Mr. Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar
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
january
interview
Interview of Dr. Sudhir Bloeria
with Namay Kapoor, Editor-in-Chief, Review
staff & parents
Grading Systems Blues
Dr Geeta Shukla
literary section
‘THE WALL’: A Milestone
Harsh Bijoy Bora, XI-A
Labour camp at Jhansi
Rishabh Jain, X C
15
17
19
Secretary/Principal
Mr. Samik Ghosh
Vice - Principal
Mr. Jayant Tengshe
contents
fort fables
Morning Assembly
21
Bursar
Lt. Col. Jayant Rao
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
Qila Quotes brings together the thoughts of the
members of the Scindian family.
They trace the connect between the person and the world.
While we live in the isolation of the Fort we constantly look for opportunities to connect with
the world. In the last few months participation in Round Square International Service activities,
educational trips, interschool competitions, Founder’s Day and workshops gave our students and
staff opportunities to interact with the physical and the intellectual world outside. In academics
too we are continuously evolving and redefining our strategies to keep abreast of the progressive
changes happening nationally and the world over.
Qila Quotes chronicles all adopting a personal viewpoint instead of a dry journalistic one.
I take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year
Samik Ghosh
Principal The Scindia School
04 PRINCIPAL'S
MESSAGE
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

Academics Competitions Initiatives
Editorial
Like every year this time too the quarter from October to December
remained full of a mood of celebration and fun as the entire school
community prepared for the Founder’s Day.
Soon after that the students left for educational camps to various exciting places. The
half yearly exams for classes IX-XII were held in the 1st week of December and then the
School closed for a one month long winter break on the 12th of December.
Celebrations
Gandhi Jayanti was celebrated in a calm and
sombre atmosphere on the 2nd of October.
The Social Service League organised lunch for
the visitors of Sonsa village who later put up
an entertainment programme in the evening at
SMOAT.
The Founder’s Day was celebrated with
traditional splendour. In the build up to the
celebrations the entire school was spruced
up and wore a new look. The skating rink
cum basketball court was inaugurated by Her
Highness Maharani Priyadarshani Raje Scindia.
Old boys thronged the Fort in large numbers
and were accorded a warm welcome. The
old boys’ day was one full of nostalgia and
bonhomie when they relived the beautiful
moments they had spent here.
On Founder’s Day the various publications
of the school were released. This year for the
first time the finals of the athletic meet were
held on the same morning when Old boys
cheered for the boys of their houses very
enthusiastically
The Founder’s Day function comprised of an
English play, a Hindi play, performance by
the school band, orchestra performance and
prize distribution by the Chief Guest Dr. E.
Sreedharan, Managing Director of DMRC.
The exhibition in the Science Block which
showcased the hard work put in by the
students during the entire term was widely
appreciated by the guests and visiting
dignitaries.
The dog show, display of Yoga Aasans by the
school boys, scuba diving, parasailing and
rides on the hot air balloon added to the fun
while the café provided gastronomic delights.
On the occasion of Children’s Day the Social
Service League organised a sports meet for the
lesser privileged children.
Visitors
Dr Udayan Patel(Ex Md ) visits the School
every month for three days. He engages in
discussions with various groups of students
and staff, session by session. These sessions
help the School community introspect on
several core issues such as motivation,
interpersonal relationship, creativity, self
assessment, school norms, senior junior
relationship, rights and responsibilities, etc.
RSC
Eight students attended the Senior Regional
Round Square Conference at PPS Nabha.
The theme of the conference was ‘Democracy
Empowering the Underprivileged’
Eight students attended the Junior Regional
Round Square Conference for South Asia and
Gulf at Sanskar Valley School, Bhopal. The
theme of the conference was ‘Discover the
Power Within.’
The first results of the skill based assessment
for classes 6, 7 and 8 were announced
soon after the students came back from the
camping trips and education excursions. As
mentioned earlier we have begun tracking
academic development of our younger students
through a set of skills that are required in
(characteristic of) each subject. A few attitudes
and personality traits relevant to academic
development are also assessed. The results of
the first full length test were sent to parents
of students of classes 9 to 12. Students’
performance in this FLT was carefully looked at
by the whole faculty and appropriate remedial
and counseling measures were initiated.
During the entire month of November
academic preparations were in full swing in
light of the Half-yearly examinations to be
held in first week of December. Hence, the
accelerated programme for class XI Science
was also suspended 10 days prior to these
examinations.
The compiled results along with the reports
of respective subject teachers and the House
Master were sent home on 20th December.
A ‘synopsis’ of work done over the term was
also included in it. Appropriate and adequate
amount of work was assigned for the holidays
especially for the board exam classes.
Faculty News
The staff underwent training in basic first aid
at the school infirmary. The programme was
organised by the School Medical Officer, Dr
S.P.S. Jadon and his team.
The School hosted a three day Science
Workshop for the Science teachers of the
school and some other schools of the city.
The workshop which was conducted by three
eminent scientists opened up new vistas for
teachers and students. The teachers learnt to
think out of the box and involve students more
in the teaching- learning process to make the
class more interactive through activity based
learning.
The School hosted the 36th All India Platinum
Jubilee Memorial English Debate. To make
the contest more stimulating and challenging
this year it was conducted in two rounds. The
Cambridge format will be introduced next year.
The debate was won by The Scindia School for
the fourth consecutive year.
A large number of co-curricular activities gave
the students a platform to showcase their
multifarious talents. The highlight of the quarter
was the cross country race where each student
gave in his best to score points for his house.
obituary
A new ceremony was started this year whereby
a replica of the School flag and a lamp would
be handed over by the Madhav Awardee to a
young student from a Junior House signifying
the handing down of traditions from the old
to the new. This year Mr A.N. Dar,( Madhav
Awardee ’09) handed over the torch to
Aishwarya Raj of class VI.
The entire Scindia fraternity mourns the sad demise of
Gen Ashok Handoo (Ex Ja ’44), Madhav Awardee for the year 1986, who
breathed his last on 30th December 2009 and Shri Bapusaheb R.Garud
(Ex Sh ’51) who passed away on 16th December 2009. Our heartfelt
condolences to the family of Shri B. S. Birwal, former Office Supdt. (1987
– 2002) who passed away on 2nd January, 2010.
06 EDITORIAL
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

Student
Achievements
Tarang Tripathi was adjudged the second best speaker in the 36th All India Platinum
Jubilee Memorial English Debate conducted by The Scindia School. Anirudh Sood was
adjudged the best speaker in the qualifying round. The School stood first.
The School hosted the IPSC quiz where our
team comprising Sankalp Rathour and Neeraj
Dhodi stood third.
__________________________________
The School quiz team comprising Neeraj Dhodi
and Sankalp Rathour took part in the Gibson
Quiz held at Mayo College, Ajmer and secured
the 2nd position.
__________________________________
The school team participated in the CBSE
clusters 11th Table Tennis Tournament held in
SICA School, Indore in the under-14,Under- 16
and Under- 19 categories. The under-14 team
reached the Semi-finals and stood 4th out of
24 schools.
In the Individual categories Abhinav Kumar
Pawan, Nishant Rana and Ashutosh Agarwal
reached the Quarter Finals.
__________________________________
Vikram Bengani won the 1st prize in the senior
category of the Sahodaya poster making
competition which was held in Greenwood
Public School, Gwalior
__________________________________
The School Basketball team had participated
in the IPSC Under-19 Tournament where Lupin
Rao was declared the most promising player
of the Tournament. Lupin Rao and Harshotsava
Jalan were selected for the Under-17 National
Team. Lupin was also appointed the captain of
the Under-17 team which participated in the
School National Games.
A team of four boys participated in the ‘Outlook
Speakout Debate’ held at Daly College, Indore
on 21st November 2009. 58 students had
participated in this open competition. Anirudh
Sood topped the competition and was selected
to represent Indore in The National Challenge
Final round. Aayush Tandon stood fourth. In
an open house Mr Prashant Chaturvedi and
Palaash Bhargava received special prizes.
__________________________________
Our School participated in the IPSC IT Fest
held at Vidya Devi Jindal School, Hisar.
Vaibhav Agarwal and Kartikeya Bhargava
stood 1st in the Computer Quiz
Nishant Rana and Mayank Kasera stood 3rd in
Composite Video Making.
Ronit Borpujari and Kunwar Mahendra stood
4th in Web Designing.
__________________________________
The IPSC cricket tournament was held at
RKC, Rajkot. The School team defeated Daly
College, Indore. Dev Khanna scored a quickfire
44 and also took 2 wickets. For his brilliant
performance he was awarded the ‘Man of the
Match’ trophy.
__________________________________
Raunak Jain was a member of
the IPSC under-16 cricket team
and participated in the School
National Games. The team was
declared runner up. He has been
awarded a prize of Rs 7000 by
IPSC
08 STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENTS
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

Old Boys'
News
Reminiscences
On the occasion of the 112th Founder’s Day of the School the Madhav award
was conferred on Mr A.N. Dar ( Ex Rn ’58) This year the SOBA cup was
awarded to the Kolkata Chapter and the SOBA award was won by
Rajnish Rai Kumar( Ex Md ’82)
Every old boy at some point of time felt like leaving Scindia and going back.
What is the one thing that held you back
(Question suggested by Ishar Kar Ex-Rn’08)
09
OLD BOYS'
NEWS
VOL 6 | Jan 2010
Samir Kumar (Ex Sh ’87) was featured in the
UK/Hong Kong based Finance Asia Magazine
(The Milkman, December 2009) for his
pioneering role in China's dairy industry where
his Australian joint venture became the largest
exporter of cheese into China. Now Samir's
new venture Sino Hero Foods is hooking the
Chinese to the taste of AMUL and MTR Ready
to Eat curries which he exclusively represents
for Greater China.
__________________________________
Pratik Sharma (Ex Mj ’06) held his first solo
photography exhibition ‘Holi Gestures’ at the
Academy for Photographic Excellence, New
Delhi. The exhibition was inaugurated by SOBA
President Lt General S P S Dhillon on 4th
December '09 and the Guest of Honour was
the eminent photographer Amit Ashar(Ex Md
’83)
__________________________________
Members of SOBA Nagpur held a
Blood Donation and an Eye Donation
Awareness Camp on Sunday 4th Oct
2009. There were 39 donors.
This Camp is held every year since
the last 3 years in memory of Late HH
Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia. Some
of the members pledged to donate
their eyes and to work for the cause
of eye donation. All donors were
presented certificates signed by HH
Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kapil
Dev and Lt. Gen SPS Dhillon.
Azhan Ahsan’s (Ex DL ’06) book, ‘Love, Lust
and Life’ was released in Mumbai. It will soon
be available in all the bookstores across India
and also on the internet. By doing so he has
become the youngest author of the country at
21.
Azhan is leaving for New York for a film course
at New York Film Academy.
__________________________________
The Batch of ’83 has decided to sponsor
the education of two girls of class IX of the
Government Girls School upto standard XII.
They shall pay for the school fees, stationery
and uniform every year.
__________________________________
Jitendra Muchhal (Ex Ja ‘86) along with Niraj
Lal (Ex Ja ‘68) both founder office bearers of
Scindia Old Boys Association in North America
conceived and brought to life a Pan Public
School Alumni gathering. The first meeting
took place in New York on 18 Nov 2009. The
Chief Guest, Counsel General Prabhu Dayal,
complemented the efforts of the Alumni and
inspired them to be the bridge between the
cultures and businesses of India and USA. The
Alumni present seemed quite enthused by the
idea of a Pan Public Alumni gathering and were
catching up with their old friends and Alumni.
__________________________________
During the first week I felt very homesick and
managed to get a phone call through to my
father. I told him that I wanted to return as the
food in the School was not tasty. He sternly
replied that if it was palatable to Madhavrao
Scindia, who was my contemporary, it was
good enough for his son also.
Dr. Sudhir Singh Bloeria Ex-Mj ’62
________________________________
Not much of a choice when you are studying at
a prestigious School, that too at Government
expense – surely Dad would have turned me
out from home without any money.
Rajendra Kumar Shrivastava Ex-Md ’70
________________________________
The Head Master’s daughter
Tripurary Chaturvedi Ex-Mj’77
________________________________
When I joined school, for the first few months,
I was home sick but family and social pressure
made me stay at Scindia. Now I am glad that
I spent five years at the Fort and would love to
spend more time there even now.
Rajiv Tyagi Ex-Md ’79
________________________________
Sumptuous Scindia food and the clattering
sound of the mess
Gauri Shanker Sharma Ex-Mj ’83
________________________________
The homely atmosphere, care taken by all our
respected teachers, true friends, the confidence
that was being developed by various means of
exposure given to us made me thankful to my
parents for giving me such an opportunity.
Anuragam Vatsa Ex-Rn ’88
________________________________
I never felt like leaving Scindia and going back
home, I was actually quite happy to escape
home and live a shared life.
Sridharan Rajan Ramkumar Ex-Rn ’92
________________________________
Once I was severely punished for fighting with
a senior over my friend. I felt like leaving, but
stayed back because I did not want to be seen
as a weak guy. Moreover the love of my friends
gave me lots of support.
Manik Mahajan Ex-Sh Left in 1992
after Class X.
________________________________
I believe no one after joining school would have
felt like leaving apart from those moments
when one felt homesick. In every aspect it was
a grooming ground, so there was no thought
of leaving.
J P N Singh Ex-Jp ’93
________________________________
I was simply enjoying my time in school too
much to consider leaving.
Rajeev Merkhedkar Ex-Md ’94
________________________________
One thing that held me from going back was
the atmosphere of Home away from Home
Anshul Mathur Ex-Je ’94
________________________________
If I went home, my father would have forced me
to join his alma mater, Doon School !!! Scindia
was always a cut above and still is. Dad if you
ever read this....what’s true is true!!!
Avinash Kumar Ex- Md ’97
________________________________
Might sound funny, but leaving this place never
occured to me after the first week. The fact that
I could play competitive soccer and cricket was
more than enough reason for me to stay on.
Harshvijay Amarnath Ex- Ja '97
________________________________
I always thought of leaving the School but the
only thing that held me was my family history
with The Scindia School.
Vishal Chand Bothra Ex-Ja ’97
________________________________
Natural beauty of the Fort
Alabhya Vaibhav Ex-Je ’99
________________________________
I wanted to see the Fort for one more term then
I thought I'd take my leave from the ‘torture’.
But once I was back for my second term I fell
in love with everything around me and couldn’t
think of leaving anymore.
Anushank Anand Ex-Dl ’01
________________________________
The only thing that held me back was the masti
(fun), like living life king size when we were in
class XI and XII.
Sahil Mehra Ex-Ja ’03
________________________________
The only thing which held me back was the
sense of belonging. I knew Life would be
difficult outside.
Nikhil Sharan Ex-Dl ’05
________________________________
I continued because I knew if I left the school
I would go back to a dull and monotonous
life and would not be able to develop my
personality to the fullest.
Ishar Kar Ex-Rn’08
________________________________
ASTHACHAL : Vol 1 | October 2008

Global Ecology
& Human Psychology
The planet is crumbling under onslaught of
ecological abuse. Can we help
When my maternal aunt came to visit me in
Mumbai last summer, we went with her kids to
the beach. "Unfortunately," she sighed upon
seeing the ocean, "soon the sea will swallow
this beautiful city."
She was referring to a report in a news
magazine whose cover showed the famous
Gateway of India monument in Mumbai half
submerged in the ocean. The magazine quoted
the findings of a UN panel on environmental
pollution.
By the year 2050, Mumbai and other coastal
cities of the world may boast only of aquatic
flora and fauna as their population. Melting ice
caps will raise the ocean level, pushing it to eat
up enormous amounts of land along its shores.
Meanwhile global warming will cause drastic
drops in agriculture yield, melt Himalayan
glaciers, and lead to devastating floods. Rivers
will dry and severe drought will hit food and
water supplies. Thirty to forty percent of the
flora and fauna we see today will eventually be
found only in history books.
Even if the governments of the world enact
and enforce strict rules for pollution control,
we won't find a permanent solution. Laws
may control some current phenomena, but
newer disruptions and sources of pollution will
emerge. To fight them we'll need new laws. And
any proposed solution, to be effective in the
long term, must also deal with the true origin of
environmental problems: subtle perversions of
the heart. The Ecology of the Heart.
The exploitation of nature disrupts
the ecology. And the cause of the
exploitative mentality is greed.
Greed leads to lack of self-control.
Driven by insatiable greed, people
become blind to the havoc their
profit may cause for others. They
don't care what legacy they will
leave for the next generation. The
contamination of the heart spills
into our surroundings.
The cure for the ills of pollution, therefore, has
to begin by cleaning the heart of the subtle
garbage of lust, greed, and ignorance. We have
to start by purifying our thoughts. Pure thoughts
lead to pure actions. Instead of contemplating
selfish pursuits for sensual pleasure, we must
contemplate God, the all-pure.
Then we have to change the way we live, make
our lives simpler. Because of intense greed
and limited resources, we exploit. But if we're
content, we can work enthusiastically without
exploitation. If we live simply, in harmony
with the will of the Lord, and stop exploiting
others, there will be no shortages. If we live
a morally responsible life in line with the will
of the Supreme Father, then Mother Nature
will provide all we need. But if we arm-twist
her to yield to our selfish desires, we stand to
receive her slap in the form of horrible natural
calamities and an unstable ecology. Human life
is meant for responsibility. We have to solve the
problem with sreyas, or long-range vision, not
preyas, the immediate promise of happiness
and profit without regard for the future. We have
to solve the problem in an ecologically, socially,
and karmically balanced way.
We suffer because, in ignorance, we don't live
in harmony with the Lord. But we can become
enlightened souls and live in accordance with
God's will. Then there can be a real balance of
ecology.
A pure internal environment means pleasing
God, which is like watering the root of a
thirsty tree: It solves the problem.
By Manik Mahajan
Ex Sh left in ’93 after class X
12 Alumni
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

As I sat down for Dhyana, the serene, quiet yet spiritually vibrant atmosphere
engulfed me. I could feel it wanting to penetrate every single pore in my body
as usual, but I was unable to let go – concentrate or meditate and let myself get
submerged in the enchanting surrounding – this has not happened for a long time.
THE SPIRITUAL
COLUMN
Visits to Matrimandir at Auroville have always been unique and a special
experience for me. The ones in February 2002 were most unusual and revealing.
It was for the first time that I felt a very strong urge to visit this ‘ House of the
Mother ’ frequently and continuously throughout the month and a half.
I kept trying to gather my thoughts, align my
consciousness and make my mind accept
and appreciate the beauty, ambience and
importance of where I was, but I seemed to
be making no headway. My eyes kept roving
all over the Chamber, perhaps in search of
something unusual to attract my attention and
bring my mind out of what it was entangled
with, to the present.
I had just started to study the twelve pillars
within the Chamber, when unconsciously at
first and consciously later, I spotted a column
of light descending from the top of the
Chamber onto the Crystal, kept in the middle
of the Chamber, sitting on a four legged stand
designed with Sri Aurobindo’s symbol and
plated with that of The Mother. I decided to
explore it and in doing so, I was finally able
to coax my mind to the present and surrender
myself to the sublime and omnipresent.
For a moment I felt that Mother had sent
this special column of light enriched with
Her blessings, radiating aura, hope and
prosperity; spreading confidence, warmth,
vitality and peace. It also brought with it fresh
air containing natural elements necessary for
healthy sustenance and an unchartered vision
of the future. This was the SPIRITUAL COLUMN.
The study of this COLUMN, right from how it
came into existence with the start of each day;
how it grew from a small thin ray of light, and
what it had to offer, made my mind traverse
the world in between the sky and the earth;
the roof of the Chamber, the Crystal and the
base of Matrimandir – very enlightening, very
captivating. Unlike the symmetry and stillness
in the other twelve columns, the spiritual
column was never STILL. Narrow at the top
and engulfing the Crystal at the bottom
of the Mother’s Chamber, it kept growing,
spreading light, radiating energy, absorbing
and encompassing every single thing.
With the increase in the intensity and vigour
of this column, I could feel each and every
marble inlaid in the walls of the Chamber
come to life as if Mother had come to
wake them up in order to perform the day’s
chores – treasure the revelations of the
devotees through their thoughts, feelings and
expressions being let loose amidst them and
perhaps measure, fathom and convey them
to the Mother as She retired in the evening to
assess, assimilate and chart a path for each
for a better tomorrow.
As I was cherishing these visions and
revelations, I became aware of the progress
in formation of an umbrella of shadows of
Sri Aurobindo’s symbol spreading in four
directions, on the inner roof of the Chamber.
With passage of time, three symbols
remained subdued but the fourth grew into
a very strong and clear shadow. This was
not all. A closer and more detailed study
revealed the existence of another shadow
of another symbol in the background, which
was projecting, encompassing, enriching
and providing halo to all four symbols of Sri
Aurobindo – it was that of the Mother.
As my eyes travelled downwards from the
roof of the Chamber, beholding the awe of
the play of the shadows of two great spiritual
symbols of our times, I was in for a more
spectacular treat. Lo behold, clear image
formations with dimensions and colour, of
the Crystal, Sri Aurobindo’s symbol stand and
Mother’s symbol disc - as a composite entity
and as viewed in the center of the Chamber,
could be seen dotting the marbles studded
in the inner chamber – one, then two then
three…. equidistant from each other, visible
only between alternate pillars and at the same
level on all sides – very profound, very telling
and a very enrapturing sight for those who
could appreciate its beauty and imagery. My
mind, I realized, had been journeying all over
the Chamber, out of my body, savouring every
single moment.
As the stipulated time of my visit to the
Mother’s Chamber was coming to close, I
reluctantly started withdrawing myself from this
saga of spiritual quest and revelations and reentering
the present materialistic world.
While preparing to leave the Mother’s Chamber
it dawned on me that the work of this Column
did not end here. A part of it travelled deep
down into the womb of Mother Earth to provide
solace, comfort and rejuvenate those inhabiting
her various strata and layers, only to bloom
again on her surface in the form of exotic
flowers, trees and greenery before returning to
the skies and starting its journey all over again
day after day, year after year - into eternity.
I eagerly look forward to my next visit and
anxiously await to find out what might be in
store for me at Matrimandir. It is just possible
that I may not get to ‘see’ beyond but I will
always pray that I do.
Honore S Prasad
Ex Ja ’79
14 Alumni
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

Interview of
Dr. Sudhir Bloeria
N.K: What made you decide to join the
army
S.B: My father who was in the army had
an orderly called Kamal Singh. He had
taken active part in the ’47-’48war against
Pakistan. He used to tell me stories of how
the bunkers were made, what a trench is
and how they repulsed Pakistani attacks.
Though my father was in the army, it was
actually Kamal’s stories that inspired
me the most. I would imagine myself as
one of the characters in his description.
Though at that time I was just in class IV
or V, I made up my mind to join the army.
N.K: Sir, what made you switch from
military service to civil service
S.B: I joined the army as per my wishes.
Since I was a short service commissioned
officer, I had an option after six years
to either leave the army or to stay with
it. I decided to stay but as a fallback
option I appeared for the IAS entrance
examination and got through. My seniors
in the army and elders at home advised
me to join the civil services. However both
my wife and I were keen that I continued
in the army. Somehow the switch over just
happened.
former Civil Servant, with Namay Kapoor, Editor-in-Chief, Review.
N.K: You have served in J&K at the
height of insurgency. Things are much
better now. Does your book ‘The Dying
Terrorism’ deal with the same
S.B: ‘The Dying Terrorism’ is mainly
an exercise in record keeping. It tells
how we organized and conducted the
parliamentary and assembly elections
in 1996, after a gap of ten years. You
know human memory is short. Since I
could recall some details and had kept
personal notes of important events, I
wanted to document the entire sequence
of events for posterity. The book does deal
with terrorism and related issues also. It
records reasons and events leading to the
rise of terrorism and how we can address
the problem, but primarily it is a record
keeping exercise.
N.K: What according to you can be a
lasting solution to the Kashmir problem
S.B: Unfortunately it is not a problem
within the control of India alone. Whether
you like it or not Pakistan has become a
party in the permanent resolution of this
problem. We in India feel, and rightly so,
that the entire J&K as it existed on 15th
August 1947 is ours whereas Pakistan
wants J&K as a part of Pakistani territory.
So a practical way out has to be found.
As per the newspaper reports, there were
occasions in the past, particularly during
talks between Rajiv Gandhi and Benazir
Bhutto, when outlines of resolution had
been worked out but these could not be
pushed forward. Then some understanding
is said to have been arrived at between
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
General Musharraf, but that too didn’t
fructify.
A lasting solution would have to be
something that would be acceptable to
both the countries. The line of control
(LOC) could perhaps be agreed upon as
the area of influence of the respective
countries. From that premise we can talk
about other things like making the border
porous, facilitating trade and interaction
between the two parts etc. But maintaining
the sanctity of the line of control at this
point of time seems to be a pre-requisite
to a lasting solution.
N.K: According to you what is the
solution to the problem of corruption
S.B: It is a natural principle of life and
science that things flow from top to
bottom. We have given ourselves a
democratic system and it is controlled by
the political executive, so it will have to
start from there. Though corruption exists
at all levels but I firmly believe that if the
political executive is clean, honest and
straightforward then nobody down the
line, be it a politician, a civil servant, a
middleman or a criminal can go beyond
his circle of activities. We now have certain
instruments like the Right To Information
Act, social activistIvism etc which generate
confidence. So if we make suitable
systemic changes and something positive
starts from the top, it will make a lot of
difference.
N.K: What do you think is the biggest challenge for our country today
S.B: The other day I was reading an opinion poll in the Times of India and
the question put to the respondents was, “What is the biggest challenge that
India is facing. Is it terrorism or corruption” It was corruption which got 82 %
votes. I completely agree with this. Corruption is an issue with which we have
to deal with great alacrity followed by population management. Of course,
terrorism also needs priority attention.
N.K: You have been a regular visitor to
The Scindia School. What is the magnetic
charm of the school which draws old
boys to it
S.B: In my case the charm lies not just in
the school itself but in the town as well.
I studied here from class IV to XII. So the
formative years of my life were spent in
Gwalior. I like to come back to the school
as I feel happy to be on the Fort. At least
for that week I feel young again. I feel
like sharing with the boys what I have
learnt, and the experiences that I have
accumulated, over the past five decades.
N.K: Is there any particular teacher
whom you still remember
S.B: Not just one, I remember a number
of them with respect and affection. Some
teachers were simply outstanding. The
then Principal, Mr.K.C.Shukla was already
an institution when I joined. There were
many accomplished teachers like our
Hindi teacher Mr. Devendra Narayan
Verma who was a poet of great repute
and wrote the School Song. I remember
many teachers, particularly those who
taught us as well as those who were good
sportsmen.
N.K: Are you in touch with your batch
mates How active are you as a SOBA
member
S.B: I am in touch with my batch mates
and some other old boys for professional
reasons. I often come across old boys who
are in the army. They keep coming in and
out of my state J&K.
We had organized a SOBA chapter two
years ago. We interact fairly regularly
but before that we did not have a SOBA
chapter in J&K. It is difficult for us to get
connected with far away cities. Mr. Jorawar
Singh, a former housemaster and teacher
of Scindia School is also one of our
members. He is the Principal of a school
in Jammu and we meet quite often.
S.B. Dr. Sudhir Bloeria (Ex Mj ’62)
N.K. Namay Kapoor
16 Interview
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

Grading
Systems Blues
“Beta, come here”, I called my younger daughter from the kitchen early morning
one day. “I am reading the newspaper mom. Wait for a while,” was her response.
I was surprised to hear this from my daughter who is in class VI as she hardly
ever reads a newspaper, that too early in the morning. A few minutes later she
came and said in an excited tone “Wow! I will not have to give the Board exams.
“After a few days my elder daughter said,
“Mom, now a days I am very relaxed. I simply
enjoy the various projects which involve a lot
of drawing, creative writing and researching on
the net. There is no pressure of scoring marks
in exams.”
Both had given their opinion. But what about
me Why was I or, rather still am, so tense and
confused
Two daughters with two absolutely different
approaches towards their work will henceforth
be judged by a common grading system. Will it
be possible to judge them through the grading
system in a fair manner Will they learn
enough to be well placed and independent in
their future lives Will they be as stress free
in future as they are now Will they be able
to cope with future challenges or will they
succumb to pressures in life once they step out
of the sheltered atmosphere of the School
A million such thoughts cross my mind
whenever I watch them not doing anything, just
playing or fighting with each other and ‘wasting’
their time.
“Grading system does not mean that you
don’t have to work hard” my preaching falls on
deaf ears. It goes unheard in the excitement
of doing something or the other, apart from
studies. Whenever I ask them to go and sit
down to study, the standard response is,
“There is no homework. We have to get some
information from the net. Can we please surf
the net”
After giving them the permission I realize
that while one goes beyond the limits that
it becomes difficult for her to condense the
information in 20 slides the other spends just
about 20 minutes prepares 3-4 slides and
is happy. No matter what I say, she is quite
satisfied with her effort. I try to console myself
by thinking that once they get their first term
results based on the grading system they will
realize their mistake in assuming that they
can’t take academics so casually.
The CBSE believes that with the introduction
of the grading system Children will be freed
from the stress of exams, there will not be
any cut throat competition in classes and no
comparisons at homes.
Is it true
It is human tendency to compare. The
comparisons and parental pressure will still
be there. The only difference will be that now
instead of marks, parents will compare the
grades of siblings or peers. They will question
their children “How many A+’s have you got and
how many the other students in your class have
got” Now it will be a game of A’s and A+’s
I hope that after one year of the
implementation of the system I will be mature
enough to accept it in totality. Perhaps my
doubts and apprehensions will be put to
rest. Maybe the children too will understand
the rationale and motive behind the grading
system and continue to be serious about their
studies.
I also realize that I am not just a mother
but a teacher too and that too one with an
experience of twenty five years. I must look
at things from a wider perspective. When
educationists, philosophers, psychiatrists all
are talking about the benefits of this system for
the children, the situation can not be as grim
as I am imagining. Oh, yes, I must come out of
this state of despondency and have full faith in
the system.
Dr Geeta Shukla
17 Staff
VOL 6 | Jan 2010
ASTHACHAL : Vol 1 | October 2008

‘THE WALL’:
A Milestone
“Forward all boys!! Paddle harder!!
The instructor shouted as we rolled down ‘THE WALL’.
Suddenly the raft overturned and I hit the water ……. SPLASH!!!
Fortunately this was just a dream. But today was the big day! We were finally
leaving for our adventure camps which we had been waiting so eagerly for.
Labour camp
at Jhansi
Unlike other years this year as the time approached to leave for the annual
camps none from my batch were excited about it. What is the fun in spending a
week in a remote village doing hard labour work was the question in our minds.
This would be our worst camp, feared the others.
The adventure camp was a six day rafting
expedition from Srinagar to Rishikesh in
Uttarakhand. We were escorted by Mr.
PrabhuRaj and Mr. Shitole. We left on the
26th of October by train to Delhi from where
we took a bus trip to the starting point in
Srinagar. The sight of the mighty Alaknanda
river and its surrounding was picturesque.
An aura of calmness and serenity flowed
across the environment. We were given our
respective rafts. There were nine people in
my raft: Swadesh, Aditya, Abhinav, Rakesh,
Sarang, Aakarshan, Aayush, Debashish and
myself (they would have killed me if I had not
mentioned their names!!). We named our raft
Peeli Pari as the colour of the raft was yellow.
We travelled three hours down the tributary to
reach our beach camp. There we interacted
with the guides and got acclimatized to the
climatic condition.
The weather was very pleasant. As it had been
a very tiring day, we slept early that night. On
the 28th, we got ready for the first phase of
the rafting. We attached our luggage and tents
on to the rafts and set sail. We had to cover
a distance of 35 km in a time span of five
hours that day. The river was really cold but our
excitement compensated for that. Everybody
shuddered when we were told to jump into
the cold water but some of our batch’s brave
hearts mustered courage to do so and swam
about 1km with the life jackets intact. We were
shivering when we came out of the water. The
wind pierced through our skin. We reached our
camp at 4:00 pm in ‘Bagwan’ where we set up
our rafts for shelter. It was a good experience.
There we built up a volley ball court and had a
match between the ‘Scindian All Star Team’ and
the rafting crew team (who were indeed very
good!!). But to our surprise the Scindian team
somehow defeated them.
We were provided with delicious food
throughout the camp. With our tummies full we
slept early that night. The next day was a little
disappointing as we didn’t have rafting that
day. In the morning they took us for a trek to a
nearby hill. The view from there was exquisite.
Soon came the much awaited day when
we had to face ‘the wall’ – one of the most
dangerous rapids of river Ganges. Everybody
was excited. We started our venture. As soon
as our raft slid past the first rapid, I turned
back to see 3-4 boys howling as they had
fallen off their rafts, but we continued. It took
us three hours before we took a halt to see
‘the wall’ from the top of a cliff. It was exactly
the way I had imagined – fast and furious, as
if waiting to gulp us all. But we had come too
far to say ‘no’ to it. Namay’s raft was the first
to enter it. Everybody was tense. But soon the
tension turned into excitement as the seven
rafts made through the inferno. The instructors
were the one to be thanked for this feat. It was
the first time in Scindian history when all the
rafts made through this rapid safely. That day
we camped in “Byasi” where a little town was
situated.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” I opened my eyes to see
my friends smiling and jumping on top of me.
Yes, it was my birthday and the day when our
camp was to successfully end.
We rafted along the mighty Ganges and across
rapids like –“Rollercoaster’, ‘Golf Course’ etc.
We also played a little recreation game in which
Namay, Aditya and I won. We had a lot of fun
that day. After a brief outing in Rishikesh, we
left for our school in the night. I would like to
thank my teacher escorts, the guides and my
batch mates who made this camp beautiful. I
will always remember this trip.
The dream, I mentioned about had come true
except for the part when I fell into the water
So, my friends, DREAM ON!!
Harsh Bijoy Bora
XI-A
However once we reached there and got
involved in the various activities all our
misconceptions vanished. Every thing we did
gave us a great sense of fulfillment and we
came back with greater appreciation for all our
blessings.
We stayed at a farm house, owned by an old
boy, Mr Ramesh Sharma (ex Ravindra ’67). It
was a beautiful place surrounded by a wide
variety of medicinal plants. The village that we
had to work in was very near to the farm. We
identified a government school in the village
and did three things-Firstly we constructed a
drain for the flow of water that came out from
the hand pump present in the school and
connected it to a nearby plot in order to stop
the wastage of water. The second task was
making a shed over an elevated platform which
would serve the purpose of a kitchen for their
mid-day meals. Lastly we cleaned the waste
present in the school area and planted several
trees.
The entire work was divided amongst the eight
houses so that it would be easy to give us
points for the coveted Narmada trophy. Since
each house wanted to clinch the trophy, all put
in the best of their efforts. I can bet that it must
have been really hard for Mr. Ramesh Sharma
to decide the winner. Inspite of the underlying
competitive spirit between different houses,
all of us also co-operated with each other to
complete the project on time. One day we set
up a Langar and invited the entire village for a
hearty meal. A large number of villagers turned
up for it, so many of us pitched in to make
puris. The guest had great words of praise for
our warm hospitality and the sumptuous food
that we served.
We also went for a trek one morning. The
view from the top of the hill was picturesque.
However the best part of the camp was
reserved for the last day -the cultural evening.
Each house had prepared one item which
we presented in front of the old boys and
parents whom we had invited. Our Principal
Mr Samik Ghosh was also present at the
function to encourage us. Each performance
was commendable and I was amazed at the
immense talent that my batch mates possess.
The evening ended with a special dinner and
dance.
Through the various activities, there were
some invaluable lessons that we learnt. We
learnt to work as a team and to enjoy the
pleasure of selfless service. We also learnt to
empathise with the less fortunate ones and
realized the hard labour which goes behind
each thing no matter how insignificant it may
appear at the surface level. We returned to
the school after a fruitful week. Each one of
us had a sense of accomplishment as we
had brought a positive difference in the lives
of some who are not as blessed as we are.
Rishabh Jain
X C
19 Literary
Section
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

Fort Fables
Morning
Assembly
The morning assembly is an important event with the entire school gathering at the
Seksaria Hall for prayers, announcements and commendations. The students and faculty
congregate first and wait for the Principal, who arrives accompanied with a school prefect
and invests the occasion with solemn dignity in his ceremonial black gown.
Earlier the assembly was held at the NG
Thakar Reading Room ( now changed to two
classrooms) and the students sat on the
floor while the masters and prefects sat in
chairs along the wall between the doors. The
venue was shifted to the present assembly
Hall, after it was constructed in 1955. The
earlier routine was a brief period of silence
observed, followed by a choral song of nonsectarian
character-usually a Tagore song- and
occasionally a short address by the Principal.
Incidentally even before the song became the
national anthem,The Scindia School students
were singing Jana Gana Mana in the 1930’s
and 1940’s. The other oft quoted words at
The School being “Where the mind is without
fear………”
Two new features were added to the morning
assembly in the Diwali term of the year 1970.
These were the recitation of Sanskrit shloka
followed by a translation of the same in
English. On Tuesdays a short talk on the life of
some great spiritual leader was given after the
assembly song.
When Mr. Dar took over the reins of the
Scindia School he believed in adding colour
to various aspects of school life so as to break
the monotony of the routine. He brought a
lot of innovation and novelty to the morning
assembly. A new version of the school song was
introduced in 1997. The singing of the song
was accompanied not only with the piano but
also with a variety of other Indian instruments,
such as sitar, tabla etc.
A lot of upgradation of the infrastructure
and renovation work was also planned
during that time in keeping with the upbeat
mood of the centenary celebrations. With
all such renovations Mr. Dar feared that the
assembly could be a casualty so he shifted
the New Boy Assembly to SMOAT first so as
to accommodate the entire school - students
and staff - together with the new boys and
their families. Till then this Assembly was held
in the Auditorium with just a few students and
teachers.
This worked so he was inspired to shift one of
the Assemblies outside the hall. What could
be better than around the oval lawn in front
of the academic block. Such a move would
allow an opportunity to use this space while
the hall would be under renovation. Impressed
with the new brass band he wanted them to
play a tune. He also wanted them to hoist the
school flag and bring it down with ceremony
on the same evening. As envisioned by Mr.
Dar even today every Monday morning the
assembly is held in the open where one of
the prefects gives the command and the band
boys march to the flag post. As the bugle is
being blown the prefect hoists the flag. Such
an open air assembly, exposes the students
to the warm sun, bright blue sky, chirping of
the birds and a pleasant beginning to the day.
In such a setting the prayer and the music
have a most refreshing touch. Moreover this
provides an opportunity for the entire school
to assemble together as on the other days the
Junior assembly is held in the corridor on the
first floor.
With a view to improving the public speaking
skills of the students and also to instill in
them a sense of ownership, former principal
Mr N.K. Tewari vested the students with the
responsibility of conducting the Saturday
Assembly. On 27th September 2008 Rishabh
Agarwal of Jayaji House became the first
student to conduct the assembly, something he
takes great pride in. Another initiative with the
same objective was the star speak programme,
so that more students get an opportunity to
speak in the assembly.
Soon after assuming charge as the Principal of
Scindia School Mr Samik Ghosh felt that since
the assembly began on a solemn note with the
recitation of Sanskrit Shlokas it should end
also on a solemn and harmonious note with
the singing of the School songs. Hence now
after the prayer, announcements and speeches
we conclude the assembly on a musical note
unlike earlier when the song followed the
prayer.
There have also been some not so solemn
assemblies, such as the one in which Nalin
Mehta(Ex Rn ’96) who was hidden in an alcove
above, came tumbling down the ceiling! The
assembly which the students conduct on
the morning of the teacher’s day is keenly
awaited as the students impersonate the staff
members and there are numerous humorous
announcements making subtle digs at teachers
which leave the students bemused while the
teachers are sporting enough to enjoy them.
22 FORT
FABLES
VOL 6 | Jan 2010

Captains
School Games
Captain
Football
Squash
Cricket
Table – Tennis
Skating
Tennis
Hockey
Swimming
Riding
Athletics
Basketball
Chess
Archery
Aakash Kumar
Tarang Tripathi
Arjun Saraswat
Shubhankar Tiwary
Mayank Mittal
Aditya Kasana
Vivek Mukherjee
Aakash Kumar
Karan Khanna
Vivek Shakya
Abhay Vikram Singh
Bishal Kumar Das
Khagemba Okram
Rishi Nehra
School Prefects
Senior School Prefect
Ranoji
Arjun Saraswat
School Prefects
Daulat
Jayappa
Jayaji
Ranoji
Jeevaji
Mahadji
Madhav
Shivaji
Shubhankar Tiwary
Vivek Mukherjee
Dev Khanna
Suvrat Jhavar
Sheetal Verma
Tarang Tripathi
Khagemba Okram
Yuvraj Neelak
Tushar Agarwal
Nishant Rana
Members of the Editorial Board
Staff Editor English Ms. Puja Pant
Staff Editor Hindi Dr. B.S. Bhakuni
Ms. Raksha Siriah
Editor in Chief Namay Kapoor
Chief Art Editor Jivitesh Mazumdar
Senior Editors Aayush Tandon
Kritin Kohli
Sankalp Rathour
Associate Editors Darshan Pal Singh
Kabir Naqvi
Nimish Pahuja
Ronit Borpujari
Correspondents Aditya Sharma
Pratik Bhalotia
Manas Pant
Sansrisht Bhatia
Sugandha Shukla
Saksham Kapoor
Photography Mr. Dinesh Siriah,
Shauryaveer Singh
Special Thanks Ms. Sujata Aslam
Mr. R.K. Kapoor
Mr. Jitendra Jawle