15th April 2009 - The Scindia School

pg 01The Scindia SchoolApril 15, 2009 | Number : 910 April | WPP 15, 2009 : Regn.No.Gwl.Dn.11| Number : 910THE SCINDIA SCHOOL REVIEW ’09REVIEW ’09Snapshot of our PrincipalName : Mr Nirmal Kumar TewariDate of Birth: 16th March 1954Married to: Mrs Madhu Tewari nee PantAnniversary : 5th DecemberFavourite :Dish : Rogan JoshSinger : Kishore KumarActor : Ashok Kumar andClint EastwoodSport : Table TennisSports Person : Sunil Gavaskar andGundappa ViswanathStudents : Shamit Khemka,Sanjeev Wadhwa,Prabal BhargavaHobbies : Playing the flute, working on thecomputers, reading booksLikes : Teaching, staying on the hills(Trekking), listening to musicHates : Arrogance, Attitude and DishonestyFeels angry when : Someone tries to cheator manipulate him.Strengths: Is a patient listener and is also veryoptimistic.Weakness : Loves to eat sweets but is notallowed to do so as he is a diabetic. At timesnot very assertive.His Lesser Known Side : A very religiousperson, does fifteen days of labour work intemples every year. Has been fasting onSaturdays regularly ever since he passed ClassX.Greatest Achievement : Considered as avery good Chemistry teacher and House masterby the students he has taught or looked after.The first Computer Science School teacher inthe history of Indian schools.Date of Joining Scindia School : 5th July1980Position and responsibilities whichwere given to him in Scindia School :Master in charge Table Tennis, Time Tableincharge, Member of the purchase committee,In charge computer room, Master in chargeDuke of Edinburgh award scheme, OfficialFootball referee (A Group), Master in chargeExamination Department, Master in chargeStationary, Master in charge B group Cricket,H.O.D. of Computer Science, H.O.D. Chemistry,House Master Mahadji House, ReviewConsultant, Member of the Accountsdepartment (looked after its computerisation),from the time of Dr. S.D.Singh had been advisingPrincipals on financial matters, SecretaryTeacher’s Association and finally Principal,Scindia School.New Portfolio: Director of DevelopmentScindia Education Society.The first place Mr Tewari would like togo to during his subsequent visits toScindia : Would love to go to a classroomand teach.Interviewed by :Vaibhav Aggarwal, Prithvi Khanna

April 15, 2009 | Number : 910THE SCINDIA SCHOOL REVIEW ’09 pg 02Keeper of the Flame `mX| ...As you enter the wide gates of the Fort, knownas Urvai gate, you feel a vastness. You knowthat something tremendous is awaiting you. Thesolemn statues of Mahavira re-inforce this idea.You gaze at these, awe-struck by the beauty.The magic has just about touched you whenyou realise that you are standing near theJunior School building. Disappointed, you ask,“But, where is the Fort”? This story was told byPrincipal Tewari, a few days after I joined as ateacher at The Scindia School. I rollicked inlaughter. How apt, even I had felt this. After youenter the Fort the magnificent wilderness givesyou such a feeling of space that you think, amI really inside the Fort?As we laughed together I saw him in a differentlight. For, he has been a very different influenceon me. He certainly was not like any otherPrincipal I have known. It struck me that hewas like the Dwarapalas of yore. In the ancientuniversity of Nalanda, the Dwarapalas or,gatekeepers would ask intimidating questionsto the students or teachers who came to teachthere. They were in disguise, actually.The foremost intellectuals of the collegeposed as the Dwarapalas. They were thekeepers of the flame. Similarly, Tewari sir willcontinue to keep the flame and remain in ourhearts for this onerous task.As I have mentioned before, he was a verydifferent Principal. Once he had called me intohis office to make some question papers.Lacking a pen I asked him for one. He gaveme the Principal’s green pen. I didn’t feel likereturning it. He actually ran after me before IThe show must go onI vividly remember my early days as a youngteacher, fresh out of college. I was moving outfrom one classroom to another when this burlyman flanked by four guys, blocked my way,“Why aren’t you in proper school uniform?”and all manner of speech deserted me. One ofthe guys came to my rescue, “Sir she is a newteacher in our school”. “Oh, yeah! What allsubjects can you teach?” “English, Hindi,Maths, Science, Social Studies”. I rattled off. “Iasked your specialization”, he said, “Physics”I could manage to mumble. The Principal hadforgotten that I existed in his school!And the image of Principal as a domineeringperson got embedded in my mind. Principalwas not somebody approachable or bestowedwith humane feelings. He was this ‘rarely seen’person with a threatening demeanour andfrowning disapproval. My subsequent jobchanges and encounters with the Principals ofmost of the schools only reinforced mygave it up. A thorough gentleman, I have neverheard him being harsh with us. Women, today,don’t ask or expect chivalry. But one would begently surprised at Tewari sir’s protective stancetowards us all. His good sense, deep experienceand steadfastness are worth emulating. He keptgiving me various chances to write. I love towrite. Teaching, however, is a prosaic task. Ittires one and so a teacher gathers a lot of dustand forgets to sparkle. But he goaded me on.I feel deeply grateful for that. One really will notbe sincere if one does not mention Madhuma’am, as we call her. If her husband is thekeeper of the flame then she is the keeper oftraditions. This is evident in the way shededicated herself to the Ladies Club. This is avery old congregation of the ladies of the Fort.Madhu ma’am has kept up the traditions. Theladies and she welcomed me and made mefeel absolutely spoilt. It’s been a greatexperience being a part of this club. Madhuma’am has a simplicity and charm which is veryold-world. It is a rare quality. I hope all of uslearn to imbibe it.Tewari sir will continue to be an integral partof us so I really don’t mean this to be a farewellpiece. However it feels good to reiterate whatlies deeply embedded in your heart for we havelost the grace of appreciation. We haveforgotten to be gracious to our elders. The oldlady of the Fort, however, tries to teach you.And Tewari sir, taught this to many. Thank you,sir as a teacher I too will continue to light thelamps of tradition.Mrs Anuradha B Shankarimpression. Exceptions, if any, were few andshort-lived.That was till I joined Scindia. This affablelooking person, cheerfully walking down thecorridor unescorted, cannot be the Principalof Scindia School, I stared in disbelief. A kindappreciative word to say to everybody and yetgraceful and commanding in his stature. Themoment I would see Mr Tewari enter the staffroom,I would shoot up like a spring from mychair and he would wave me down. It took meall of three years to muster enough courage tobe able to talk to the ‘Principal’ without feelingthreatened. Mr Tewari has this knack ofgauging one’s mood and offering practicalsolutions to most of the problems, a very downto earth approach. My admiration for him grewgradually but consistently. This man had spenthalf of his life in Scindia and you could nothelp feeling dwarfed by his love for Scindia. Iknew I had to settle down after six job changes._oao N>mÌ-OrdZ go boH$a A~ VH$ H$B©_mo‹S> AmE O~ _oam lr EZ.Ho$. Vodm‹S>r Or Ho$gmW AbJ-AbJ Vah go g§nH©$ hþAm Ÿ& O~_¢ gmVdt-AmR>dt H$jm _o| Wm V~ {dkmZ H$sH$jm _| nhbr ~ma _oam CZgo n[aM` hþAm &ñHy$b Ho$ {XZm| _| _oam BVZm A{YH$ g§nH©$ Zhtahm Š`m|{H$ _wPo {dkmZ _| é[M H$_ hr ahr &O~ ñHy$b _| H$åß`yQ>a-`wJ H$m ew^maå^ hþAmV~ lr Vodm‹S>r Or H$s H$åß`yQ>a H$jm _| n‹T>ZoH$m gm¡^m½` àmßV hþAm bo{H$Z Cg g_`H$åß`yQ>a H$m à`moJ Ho$db Hw$N> ‘Joåg’ VH$ hrgr{_V Wm Ÿ& dhm± ^r _wPo Hw$N> Eogm bJm {H$em`X `h ^r _oam joÌ Zht hmo gH$VmŸ& _¢ZoH$^r Zht gmoMm Wm {H$ ì`mdgm{`H$ Vm¡a na_¢ H$^r H$åß`yQ>a-joÌ go OwSy>±Jm Ÿ&`h Ho$db lr Vodm‹S>r Or H$m hr nam_e©Wm {H$ _¢ J«oOwEeZ Ho$ ~mX H$åß`yQ>a joÌ goOw‹Sz> Am¡a {\$a dht go _oam CZgo g§nH©$ ~‹T>Vmhr J`m Ÿ& Yrao-Yrao g§nH©$ BVZm àJm‹T> hmo J`m{H$ ha N>moQ>r-~‹S>r g_ñ`m _| CZgo gbmhboZm _oar AmXV-gr ~Z JB© Wr Ÿ& V~ _wPo `hbJVm hr Zht Wm {H$ `o dhr {ejH$ h¢ {OZgoH$^r ~mV H$aZo _| _wPo ~hþV {PP>H$ hmoVrWr & {\$a 1995 _| EH$ {XZ VËH$mbrZ àmMm`©lr E.EZ. Xa Or Zo AJñV àW_ A§H$ Ho$ [aì`yH$mo H$åß`yQ>a na H$ånmoµO H$a Am°\$goQ> naN>mnZo Ho$ {bE O~ _wPo Am_§{ÌV {H$`m VmoMr Tewari was one of the reasons, if not all. Iwas secure in my belief that nothing can gowrong now. I had achieved what I wished for.Therefore, the news that a new ‘Principal’ wastaking over, came as a blow to me. “This isunfair sir; I was looking forward to having youas a neighbour” I said, alluding to myimpending shifting to Madhav House.“Changes happen, life has to move on” and hesaid something to that effect. But I found it hardto come to terms with his going away. Life isstrange. If it creates disappointments, it alsothrows up solutions. That very evening I tookmy kids for swimming. “Everybody is leaving”I asked, more as a question than a statementto one of my colleagues. My son interfered,“Look mummy, there will be algae in theswimming pool after sometime.” “No my son,not if the water keeps flowing.” And Iunderstood and was at peace. Life has to moveon .........Mrs Niharika Kulshrehtha_wPo g_P Zht Am ahm Wm {H$ Š`m _¢ AnZo{ejH$m| Ho$ gmW H$m`© H$a nmD±$Jm ? bo{H$Zlr Xa Or VWm lr Vodm‹S>r Or Ho$ gmW Zo,BVZm AmË_{dídmg ~‹T>m`m {H$ V~ go AmOVH$ H$m g_` H¡$go ~rV J`m, nVm hr ZhtMb nm`m Ÿ&lr Vodm‹S>r Or Zo ñHy$b _| {d{^Þ {d^mJm|H$mo ~hþV ~marH$s go XoIm Am¡a em`X hr EogmH$moB© {d^mJ hmo {OgH$s ha N>moQ>r-~‹S>r pñW{VHo$ ~mao _| CÝh| kmZ Z hmo Ÿ& lr Vodm‹S>r Or Ho$gmW H$m`© H$aVo-H$aVo CZHo$ AbJ-AbJ ê$nXoIZo H$mo {_bo Ÿ& H$B© ~ma Eogm bJm {H$ em`XA^r VH$ _¢ CÝh| nyar Vah go Zht g_Pnm`m Ÿ& CZHo$ BZ ê$nm| _| go Xmo$énm| Zo _oaoì`pŠÎmËd na ~hþV Jham à^md S>mbm, dh h¡- Omo ^r H$m`© hmo CgHo$ à{V nyar Vah gog_{n©V ahZm Ÿ& Bgr àH$ma CZH$r Xygar ~mV`h {H$ gmW H$m`© H$aVo g_` `h ^yb OmZm{H$ do EH$ {ejH$, hmCg _mñQ>a `m àmMm`©h¢, nyar Vah go Kwb-{_b OmZm VWm gmWdmbo ì`pŠV H$mo ñdV§Ì ê$n go H$m`© H$aZoXoZm & O~ ^r {H$gr ì`mdgm{`H$ `m ì`pŠVJVg_ñ`m na ~mV hþB©, CZHo$ gab Am¡a ñnîQ>{dMmam| Zo _wPo h_oem gab _mJ© {XIm`m Ÿ& `h_oao {bE ~hþV Iwer H$s ~mV h¡ {H$ _wPo CZHo$BZ {d{^Þ ê$nm| H$mo {ZH$Q> go XoIZo Ed§ AZw^dH$aZo H$m _m¡H$m {_bm Ÿ&lr_Vr Vodm‹S>r Or go ^r _wPo ~hþV Hw$N>grIZo H$m _m¡H$m {_bm Ÿ& OZH$moOr hmCg go_{hbm Šb~ H$s AÜ`jm VH$ H$B© ~ma Eogo_m¡Ho$ AmE O~ CZHo$ gmW g§nH©$ hþAm Am¡a ha~ma AZoH$ {df`m| na {dñVma go MMm© hþB© Ÿ&CZHo$ gab ñd^md Zo _wPo H$^r ^r Eogm _hgyghr Zht hmoZo {X`m {H$ do àmMm`© H$s nËZr h¢ &_wPo nyam {dídmg h¢ {H$ lr Vodm‹S>r OrHo$ {ZXoeH$ Ho$ ê$n _| ñHy$b H$s J{V{d{Y`m| _|Z`m Omoe {XImB© XoJm Ÿ& CZHo$ {Xëbr _|ñWmZmÝV[aV hmoZo go ^m¡Jmo{bH$ ê$n _| h_marXy[a`m± µOê$a ~‹T>oJr, bo{H$Z ì`pŠVJV Xy[a`m±{ZpíMV Vm¡a na H$_ hm|Jr Ÿ&lr {OVoÝÐ OmdboQUOTE :A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. Aboss fixes blame, a leader correctsmistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asksquestions. A boss makes work drudgery,a leader makes it interesting.”-- Russell H. Ewing

April 15, 2009 | Number : 910THE SCINDIA SCHOOL REVIEW ’09 pg 04Footprints On My HeartIt isn’t easy to bid goodbyes to anyone,especially if it happens to be your Principal,colleague, local guardian and a friend. Allkinds of thoughts rush to your mind fromrespect to awe; from love to fear and fromdoubts to confidence. Personal experiencesand professional experiences cloud your mindand one does not know what to write. So bestis not to bid adieu! It’s safer than to write thisarticle for him. I can recall memories of him asa friend and my guardian here, than as aPrincipal! Absurd though it may sound but that’sthe reality - perhaps the person gradually fadedbehind the Principal’s chair over these nineyears. I think it’s a good quality and only hecan do it with such finesse.My memory of Mr Tewari goes back to 1996May when I’d spotted him for the first time in alobby of Hotel Claridges at Delhi. I had arrivedfor my interview and found him the first amiableperson - one I could trust. He lookedapproachable! Of course what I mistook himto be I can’t speak here….but the days thatfollowed at Scindia were indeed good becauseof him and his family and Mr Dar who hadintroduced me into the school.The road ahead of me was narrow and twisted- which way leads to which destination wouldbe known only once I traversed it. I had to facea society dominated by men, Mr Tewari didnot look any different then - of course it’sanother matter that he proved to be differentfor the rest of my life here. But it was with familythat I found the road ahead of me easy.As a person he is a clear minded individual.One who is extremely focused in his work andone who is soft spoken! Forgiving andoverlooking one’s fault is easiest with him butnot unless he gets you to amend it through hisgentle ways.As a Housemaster he played a pivotal role forhis boys. As a neighbour I suffered a lot. Whenhis House was at its noisiest I’d know Mr Tewariwas around. Boys flitted in and out of his homelike bees - complaining, sharing, chatting andeven playing in the lobby of his home.Whenever I would complain of boys making aruckus on the room above my bedroom,complaints with him, fell on deaf ears, as hewould end it with one question- “Were you achild at one point of time?” I would leave withpromises to ensure that his boys would betaught a lesson one day. Of course sadly theday never arrived.His family adopted me soon after my first day atschool. Mrs Tewari corrected my Hindialongwith her husband. My Hindi is bettertoday thanks to both of them. I can never forgetlittle Aditi play at my home and walk about thehouse wearing my high heels. I will miss herthe most perhaps.His parents showered love like the unendingrain. You could feel kindness emanating fromtheir acts. They were souls not human beingsas their acts were an extension of their spirituallearning. They protected me, loved me, scoldedme, worked me, counseled me and sharedlessons of life to help me grow. My parentscould live in peace at Ajmer. Mridul and I usedto take permission from him to watch a latenight movie and he would allow only ifDhirendra was to accompany! I was strictlyordered to return home before eight, if I gotdelayed I was sent for. Abhimanyu disliked thehunt errands for me. Such protection anddiscipline can only come from a human beinglike him.Having food in Mrs Tewari’s kitchen was aroutine. She’d make extra to keep us going.We did not have to cook our own meals andwe always had a reason to avoid Mess food!She found her way into our hearts throughour stomachs. She made us feel a part of herfamily through this motherly care.As a teacher he had tremendous patience. Herecognized the slow learner and call him hometo teach in the evenings. Rich in his subject, healways came down to the basics of a child’smind and always got through his head. Ofcourse I rarely saw him teach his own childrensomethinghe left to his brother often.Now that he leaves ….. along goes myextended family. But this is not a good bye.This is not what we are meant to do. Eventhough miles of distance separates them fromDeepak and me I know as they do too that weshall remember each other with fondness. Wewill cherish the memories as wine that getsbetter as it ages. I am glad Deepak could find agreat friend in Mr Tewari.All I can remember now is an Irish blessingthat my grandmother would often sing…..May the road rise up to meet you,May the wind be ever at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your faceMay the rain fall softly on your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the hollow of his hand!May you always have work for your hands todo!May your pockets hold always a coin or two!May the sun shine bright on yourwindowpane!May the rainbow be certain to follow eachrain!May the hand of a friend always be near you!And may God fill your heart with gladness tocheer you.Mrs Deepika TandonMore than eighth years have passed since MrN.K. Tewari appointed me – A young man of23 years as a Master of Economics in TheScindia School. In all these years that I havespent with him as my Boss, I have a distinctrecollection of his person and delightfulcharacter which has always been reflected inhis even temper, prolific mind and a lovingheart.Now as he departs from the Fort, this shortmemoir will serve to rescue from oblivion mysublime association with Mr Tewari andhopefully stimulate readers. Though we tendto forget the details in the daily course of ourlives yet some impressions are deep enoughnever to become obscure. I will share oneincident and a few of my observations whichhave had a profound effect on me.IPSC quiz was to take place in a couple of dayswhen the incumbent quiz master fell ill and MrTewari requested me to take up the event. Iagreed on the condition that he will make thecomputerized presentation. That evening hisold friend and colleague Mr Anirudh Sharmapassed away and Mr Tewari was visibly veryemotionally disturbed and I was upset andsceptical whether the quiz would take place atall. Any way I did my job, mailed him all thequestions and answers and went off to sleeponly to open my inbox the next morning andfind a mail (all presentations complete) fromhim written the previous night/morning at 1.amafter which he left for Delhi. Such was theA TRIBUTEcommitment of Mr Tewari. I was truly inspiredby him and understood the meaning of theword commitment.Secondly - Never in my eighth years have I everheard him say - Oh! I forgot. And never has hearrived late for morning assembly. In myopinion this speaks volumes about the manand his working style and I learnt what it meantto be punctual.Last but not the least, in fact rarest of the rarequality which I observed in Mr Tewari was thathe never carried grudges in his heart- he nevercarried a baggage. This is one quality which isindicative of a certain evolvement of the manin the spiritual sense, perhaps possible onlywhen one can appreciate divinity in all livingbeings.Mr N.K. Tewari’s style of functioning can bestbe described as - Laissez Faire meaningcomplete freedom. He gave immenseindependence/freedom to people to work andhe never micro managed, giving people thechance to grow and make mistakes too!!I consider myself lucky to have had the pleasureof working with Mr Tewari.Long live Scindia,Long Live Mr N.K. Tewari.Mr Vishesh Sahai

pg 05FORT NEWSThe beginning of the fortnight saw themercury rise steadily however a mild drizzlein the latter part brought the temperaturedown by a few notches.On Friday, 10th April President Board ofGovernors HH Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindiavisited the School along with Boardmembers Mr Rajendra Pawar and MrHarpal Singh. It was indeed a historicmoment for the School as the Presidentapplauded Mr Tewari for his tremendousand invaluable contribution to the legacy ofthe School and declared that henceforthMr Tewari would hold the post of Directorof Development Scindia Education Society.He would work in close collaboration withthe board and look after the masterplanand initiatives for the School. The staff andstudents were introduced to Mr SoumikGhosh, the new Principal. Mr Ghosh whohas taught at and headed premier institutesbrings with him a wealth of experience. Wewish him a long and fruitful stay in Scindia.As part of the Duke of Edinburgh BronzeAward 123 boys of Class VIII accompaniedby four teachers went for a trek toPachmarhi from Monday, 23rd to Friday,27th March. The trek was organized byNAI-Bharat Scouts and Guides. The studentscovered a distance of 70 kms on foot. Anumber of adventure activities like obstaclecrossing, rifle and pistol shooting, archery ,rock climbing and rappelling had beenplanned for them. The students enjoyed thethrilling camp and came back rejuvenatedafter the stress of the final examinations.Ten students of the Science streamaccompanied by Mr Akash Sharma and MrsNiharika Kulshreshtha went to Delhi to visitthree national institutes-NII (NationalInstitute of Science) NPL (National PhysicalLab) and IUAC (Inter University AcceleratorCentre). They got an opportunity to interactwith scientists and were allowed entry intocertain labs where even post graduatestudents are not granted access. Thestudents met a young doctor who haddiscovered artificial skin using polymers.They also went to the animal house and sawthe different strains of various animals. As atoken of gratitude they presented the schoolCoffee Table Book to the directors of theinstitutes. It was a great learning experiencefor the students who got to learn about thelatest developments in the field of Scienceand technology. They also got to know ofthe various career options and possibleavenues in different streams.With the batch of 2009 having departed theburden of responsibility has beentransferred to the new XII batch.Appointments of the School prefects weremade. As the Principal Mr N.K. Tewari calledI couldn’t believe my ears when I heard thatMr Tewari would no longer be the Principal ofthe School and was now taking over a newrole and responsibility. The first thought thatcame to my mind was “What would happen tothe School?”I personally interacted with Mr Tewari whenhe called the whole of Class VIII to the assemblyhall as we had committed some grave mistakes(cheating in the exams!). He asked each oneof us to get up and answer whether we hadreally cheated or not. Everyone was too scaredto say anything but I somehow knew that hewould understand and believe me…he did!I mustered courage, stood up and confessedand he somehow managed to hear myconscience (We had a long talk!) and didn’tactually scold me. Instead he made me realizethat I wasn’t doing any good to myself. Withoutsermonizing or making me feel guilty heawakened the consciousness of right andwrong in me. I shall forever remain indebtedto him for that.Ronit Borpujari, IX ASince my very first day in Scindia School MrTewari has been patting my back for everysingle achievement of mine no matter howsmall it may have been. Whenever he did sothe day became very special for me. There havebeen several occasions when I have personallyinteracted with sir and each interaction hasdefinitely enhanced my personality. One vividmemory is of the days when I was in gradeseven. I was on the verge of leaving school assome negative thoughts had led me intodepression. Mr Tewari called me into his officeand helped me get over this phase by hissuperb counseling and extraordinary spiritualtalk. His contribution to shaping my characterhas been invaluable and it cannot be repaid. Ithank him a lot for all that he has done for meand for the school.I wish him a very bright future ahead.Yashraj Nain, X DI remember when I had joined school I usedto be very homesick and my parents wouldcome very often to meet me. Mr Tewari hadnoticed this, so one day he called my parentsand told them that if they continued with this,their purpose of sending me to a boardingwould never be fulfilled. My parents heededhis advice. Soon I adjusted to life in schooland have grown up to be a dynamic and selfreliant individual.Ishan Pachauri, XII DWhen I was in Class X once I ran down the Fortat midnight and was caught redhanded. At thattime there was a possibility that I may not betaken back in School in Class XI but Mr Tewaridecided to give me a chance. This brought apositive change in me and I’ve definitelyApril 15, 2009 | Number : 910THE SCINDIA SCHOOL REVIEW ’09Reminiscencesbecome far more responsible and disciplinedthan I ever was. I am thankful to Sir for havingtrusted me.Prithvi Khanna, XII CMr Tewari is a very calm person and alwaysseems relaxed no matter how rough thesituation is. He has the ability to handle themost difficult of situations very smoothly. Hisvast experience and benign presence will bemissed by everyone.Gurbaksh Singh, X DEven today I vividly remember the day I cameto Scindia to give my entrance examination.Sir gave me some tips about coping with thepressures of the life of a boarder. Now that MrTewari is leaving I’d urge him to keep visitingschool so that we get to meet himJatin Pippal, IX AAs a student of Class VII at Dattaji house oneday I saw sir at the Astachal. Later Mr Tewariasked all of us to wait and called out my name.I was a bit scared but then he told me that mymother’s operation had gone fine. I was reallytouched to know that sir had come all the wayto comfort me as I was indeed quite anxious toknow about my mother. I shall alwaysremember sir for this and many other of hiswonderful qualities.K.Arnav Singh Deo, IX CEvery conversation with sir was a learningexperience; he shared with us some interestinganecdotes about his days as a teacher in theScindia School. He always emphasized on theimportance of discipline and punctuality. It wasquite fascinating to know about sir’s fondnessfor music and sports.Madhav Kharwar, X DMr Tewari has a passion for music. I got toknow this aspect of his personality when a fewof us were rehearsing for the IPSC musiccompetition which was to be held at VDJS. Hetook personal interest in our preparations andencouraged us to give our best.Jayjeet Baruah, X AThough I have been attending Astachal everyevening I understood its real meaning andsignificance only through my conversation withsir. He also encouraged me to converse inEnglish.Parth Mavai, IX DI was the star speaker on a Monday morningand as I started speaking I just looked up andsaw everybody staring at me. Suddenly I don’tknow what happened that my legs startedshaking due to nervousness and my voicebegan to quiver. Mr Tewari apparently saw thisand later on spoke to me in a very encouragingmanner. After that I’ve been a different personon stage and have participated not only inelocution competitions but also in plays. Againonce when he heard me mispronouncingsome words, he immediately called me andtold me the correct pronunciation.Rohan Mehrotra, VI BThe words of encouragement and praise fromMr Tewari mean a lot to me. Sir was very happyto know that I had topped all the subjects inmy batch. He told me that I should continue tomaintain high standards. During the Scholar’sBanquet he appreciated each one of us forour good academic performance. Achieving aposition in any competition is a special momentfor any Scindian because we get an opportunityto shake hand with Sir.Pratik Bhalotia, VII AMy performance in Mathematics had beensteadily declining. When Mr Tewari got to knowof this he immediately called me and spoke tome about it. Sir also requested Ma’am PriyankaSharma to give me some extra guidance.Thanks to this my grades are improving.Anirudhha Sindhkar VIIAPrincipal Mr N K Tewari’s sense of humour isvery impressive. Once my girlfriend from SKVSchool had come to meet me in school illegally.While going back we were caught with my fewfriends and a huge drama followed. The nextmorning we were called for interrogation. Iremember it quite clearly. I was surroundedby all the senior teachers, the Principal, myhouse master when suddenly after theconfession the Principal popped an unusualquestion: Mr Sharan, do you really think youare in love ? Anyone in my position would haveliked to say “No “. But I was true to myself Ilooked into the eyes of everyone and said“Yes“. I could see those shocked faces. It wasa shocker for everyone. Then everyone toldme these were “Infatuations” and all. But I wasunmoved. And you know what ? I am proud ofmy answer because I am still with the same girland we’ll marry soon in near future. And thefirst card will be for Mr N K Tewari.Nikhil Sharan(Ex Dl, batch of 2005)During my first few days at Westminster I feltlonely and homesick. Being very impatient Iwrote to Mr Tewari that I did not like London,Londoners and their pub culture. I knew thatI would get a scolding which I did get but thatworked more as a remedy and I hope to getmore scoldings like this in future.Abhilash Anand(Ex Jp, batch of 2008)Once I invited myself and the rest of the Reviewteam (apologies for not inviting the teacherswho did most of the work) over to thePrincipal’s house for lunch without any notice.Mr Tewari most graciously indulged us andMadam cooked up a fantastic meal.Nikhil Prasad(Ex Ja, batch of 2003)

April 15, 2009 | Number : 910THE SCINDIA SCHOOL REVIEW ’09 pg 06FORT NEWSeach of the new appointments on the stageone could see hopes rise, hearts break anddreams turn into realities.As always nine blue shirts stand in front ofthe Assembly hall. They are the new schoolprefects all nine of them eager to give theirbest. Their appointment is as yet temporary.They are being watched. They are watchful.On Friday, 3rd April we had the much awaitedJunior House evening. The culturalprogramme, which consisted of an Englishand a Hindi play, songs and a few danceperformances, provided wholesomeentertainment and was enjoyed by all.On Tuesday, 7th April and Wednesday, 8thApril the students witnessed Shakespeareanplays Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’sDream presented by Ms Amrita Laljee andher group. It was amazing how with almostnegligible use of props and very few costumechanges they managed to hold audienceattention. The plays had been abridged andsomewhat simplified, without interfering withthe storyline. The performance of all theactors was commendable.Results of the SSNI Corridor Quiz :Class VI :I Shishir Garg and Sansrisht BhatiaClass VII :I Umang JainII Mohan P.L. YadavResults of Junior Inter Group Quiz Contest:Winner – Mig GroupAditya SharmaAbhanshdeepRunner Up – Jaguar GroupRohan KhandelwalRohan MehrotraResults of Junior Inter Group BasketballTounament :I MigII JaguarIII SukhoiIV MirageThe basketball trophy was won by MIGgroup.Results of Junior group Chemistry Quiz :Class VI :I Sugandha ShuklaII Shishir GargIII Yash DuggarClass VII :I Anvesh ChanderiyaII Akshit SrivastavaIII Saurabh Singh SrivastavaPranjal Khare has qualified N.T.S.E. state levelexamination. Our heartiest congratulationsto him and we wish him all the best for thenational level exam which will be held in May.J{_©`m| H$s Nw>{Q²>Q>`m±O¡go-O¡go 23 Aà¡b nmg Am ahr h¡ _¢Ka OmZo Ho$ {XZ {JZ ahm h±y Ÿ& Š`m H$ê±$ J{_©`m|H$s Nw>{Q²>Q>`m± hmoVr hr Eogr h¢ Ÿ& EH$ AOr~gr~oM¡Zr N>m OmVr h¡ Ÿ& BZHo$ ~mao _| gwZVo hrAÀN>o go AÀN>o »`mb AmZo bJVo h¢ Ÿ& h_maoCXmg Mohao {Ib OmVo h¢ Ÿ& ha H$moB© Nw>{Q²>Q>`m|_| AnZr-AnZr `moOZmE± ~ZmVo h¢ & Hw$N> g§JrVgrIZm MmhVo h¢, Hw$N> Iob Ho$ {bE H$moqMJboVo h¢ Am¡a Hw$N> Q²>`yeZ boVo h¢ & H$B© ~ÀMoEogo ^r hmoVo h¢ Omo `h g~ Zht H$aZm MmhVoAm¡a nyam g_` Ka na {~VmZm MmhVo h¢ Ÿ& O~Nw>{Q²>Q>`m± ~hþV H$ar~ Am OmVr h¢ V~ g^r~‹S>o hr em¡H$ go gm_mZ ~m±YZo bJVo h¢ Ÿ& g~Ho$ _Z _| Ka OmZo Ho$ {bE CËgmh ^am hmoVmh¡ & g^r AnZo-AnZo XmoñVm| Ho$ B©-_ob AmB©.S>r.Am¡a \$moZ Zå~a {bIVo h¢ Ÿ& Am[Iar {XZ VmohmbmV Hw$N> Eogr hmo OmVr h¡ {H$ _mZmo h_H¡$Xr h¢ Am¡a ñHy$b Oob, Ohm± go h_| OëX goOëX [ahm hmoZm h¡ & {\$a AnZo-AnZo nm{Q>©`m|go h_ AnZo Ka H$mo Mb XoVo h¢ Ÿ&Ka nhþ±MVo hr n[adma H$m CËgmh, CZH$m{Ibm hþAm Moham, ñHy$b Ho$ ~mao _| nyN>Zm,g\$a Ho$ ~mao _| nyN>Zm, g_mZ _| g{Q>©{\$Ho$Q>Ed§ \$moQmo Ty>±‹T>Zm Am{X ~hþV AÀN>m bJVm h¡ Ÿ&O¡go _mZmo EH$ AmË_{dídmg H$s bha N>m JB©hmo Ÿ& N>{Q²>Q>`m| _| _mVm-{nVm {H$gr ^r àH$maH$s BÀN>m H$mo nyam H$aZo _| H$moB© H$ga ZhtN>mo‹S>Vo h¢ Ÿ& O¡go-O¡go Nw>{Q²>Q>`m± IË_ hmoZobJVr h¢ h_ ñHy$b OmZo Ho$ {XZ {JZZo bJVo h¢Ed§ n[adma dmbm| Ho$ Moham| na CXmgr N>mZobJVr h¡ Ÿ& O~ Nw>{Q²>Q>`m± IË_ hmo OmVr h¢V~ nVm hr Zht bJVm h¡ {H$ H¡$go `h T>mB©_hrZm| H$m g\$a (Omo ~hþV hr gwhmdZm hmoVmh¡) EH$ nb _| ~rV J`m &`eamO Z¡Z, 10 S>rH$bmË_H$ `moJ (2)OrdZ _| g^r AmgZ emar[aH$ H$mo_bVmH$mo Xem©Vo h¢ Ÿ& {OZHo$ Aä`mg go eara _|VmµOJr, {ZamoJr H$m`m Ed§ _Z _| AmZ§X H$sàmpßV hmoVr h¡ Ÿ& {MÌ _| [XIZo dmbo N>mÌ h¢ -A{Ve` O¡Z, H$jm N>… Am¡a C_§J O¡Z, H$jmgmV Ÿ&lr gwOrV nmbWH$mZ{H$VZr WH$mZ h¡ OrdZ _|,H$^r gmoMVm hÿ± Vmo ñd`§ ^r WH$ OmVm hÿ± Ÿ&BVZm XX© {H$ {OgH$s H$ënZm ^r `{XH$a ~¡R>Vm hÿ± Vmo -Z OmZo öX` H$s {H$Z JhamB`m| goAMmZH$ hr EH$ H$m±Q>o H$s-gr Mw^Z H$mAm^mg hmoVm h¡ Ÿ&na Z H$moB© Amh Z H$moB© {ggH$,K~amH$a EH$ {eew-gmKa Ho$ {H$gr H$moZo _| K~am`m hþAm,gh_m hþAm {N>n OmVm h±y Ÿ&O~ H$ënZmAm| Ho$ n§I C‹S>mH$a _wPobo OmVo h¢ Cg ‘am_amÁ`’ _|Ohm± Xya VH$ H$ht -{H$gr, ^yI go {~bIVo ñda H$mAm^mg Zht,AmV§H$ H$m ^`mZH$ Im¡\$ Zht,Ûof Am¡a Z\$aV H$s H$moB© {Xdma Zht,Ohm± AnZr {H$ñ_V H$mo H$mogZo dmbmH$moB© B§gmZ Zht Ÿ&Ohm± XX© Am¡a Xdm O¡gr H$moB© MrµO Zht,Eogo Xoe _| nhþ±M H$a_¢ Iwer go ^yb OmVm hÿ± AnZo Amn H$mo Ÿ&na Š`m H$^r H$ënZm ^r OrZoH$m _mÜ`_ ~Zm H$aVr h¡ ?Zht Ÿ&{\$a go H$ënZmE± Qy>Q>Vr h¢Bgr KwQ>Z _|,MrI-{MëbmhQ>m| _|,{ZamemAm| _|,Am¡a jU^a Ho$ {bE naoemZ Am¡a {Zamehmo OmVm hÿ± Ÿ&{H$VZr dmñV{dH$Vm h¡ OrdZ H$sAm¡a {H$VZr WH$mZ h¡ OrdZ _| Ÿ&S>m°. ~r.Eg. ^mHw$ZrMy DreamTournamentLike every year this year too we awaited theH.H. Maharaja Madhavrao Memorial CricketTournament with excitement. Six teams, whichincluded us, were to contest for the trophy. Allof us were keen to know which pool we’d fallinto and in the heart of hearts we wanted toavoid an encounter with the Modern School.Having won the trophy for the past five years insuccession they were undoubtedly aformidable team. But much against our wishesThe Scindia School team was pitted againstthem in the first match itself.Just before the match was to begin all of us, themembers of Scindia Cricket team, huddledtogether to discuss our strategy. The toss waswon by Modern School and they chose to batfirst. This was a great disappointment as wetoo had wanted to do the same. It was veryencouraging to see the other fellow Scindiansand the staff members out in sun, braving theheat just so that they could encourage us. TheModern School scored 170 runs and thoughwe tried our best we could score just 145 runsand lost the match. After this initial loss beganour winning streak and we won all the othermatches and reached the finals. Our coach MrVijay Prakash Sharma told us that this was agolden opportunity and that we could createhistory by winning the final match.The tension, we experienced before the finalmatch with Modern School, is indescribable.As we sat together at the Madhav Pavalion wewere sweating at the thought of the clash withthe titans. Our hearts were thumping withnervousness but soon we held each othershand and marched towards the field like lionsdeterminedto give our very best to the game.Unfortunately we lost the match and our hopesof winning the tournament were dashed.However we felt very proud as SahnawazHussain of the Scindia School was declaredthe best bowler of the tournament.After the prize distribution ceremony was theperformance by the School Brass Band. Thiswas the perfect grand end to the spectaculartournament. I consider myself fortunate to havebeen part of the tournament as not only did Iget an opportunity to hone my cricketing skillsbut also made some good friends from themembers of the visiting teams. My heartfeltthanks to all those people who made it possible.Piyush Mittal, X D

April 15, 2009 | Number : 910pg 07RESULTS 2008-09The following boys of Class VIII topped their school batch :Rank Name AggregateI Pranjal Khare 93.10%II Nipun Jain 92.96%III Sparsh Garg 91.62%Subject toppers :Subject Name AggregateHindi Kaushlendra Singh Yadav 91.65%English Lakshya Gupta 88.40%Mathematics Divyash Agrawal 98.35%General Science Pranjal Khare 97.12%Social Studies Nipun Jain 99.60%Sanskrit(3 rd Lang.) Anubhav Sarkar 90.15%German(3 rd Lang.) Rohit Rathi 90.10%French course A(3 rd Lang) Pranjal Khare 99.55%French course B (3 rd Lang) Mukund Wadhva 88.92%The following boys of Class IX topped their school batch:Rank Name AggregateI Aritra Samanta 87.09%II Shridhar Agrawal 85.83%III Kartikeya Krishna Bhargava 77.39%Subject toppers :Subject Name AggregateHindi Anirudh Todi 80.72%English Kartikeya Krishna Bhargava 83.35%Mathematics Shridhar Agrawal 92.80%General Science Shridhar Agarwal 90.73%Social Studies Aritra Samanta 90.54%Sanskrit(3 rd Lang.) Aritra Samanta 82.70%German(3 rd Lang.) Mohit Kumar Mandeliya 80.35%French(3 rd Lang.) Kshitij Jain 72.90%Introductory Info. Tech Shridhar Agarwal 96.70%The following boys of Class XI topped their school batch:Rank Name AggregateI Tushar Agrawal 81.80%II Arjun Saraswat 80.99%III Sheetal Verma 80.34%Subject toppers :Subject Name AggregateHindi Abhay Vikram Singh 75.90%English Arjun Saraswat 75.55%Mathematics Vivek Kumar Shakya 81.12%Computer Science Mayank Mittal 76.77%Business Studies Arjun Saraswat 93.65%Accountancy Arjun Saraswat 96.17%Painting Jalaj Prakash 92.30%Physical Education Vishal Kumar Das 70.25%Physics Tushar Agrawal 78.37%Chemistry Tushar Agrawal 86.75%Biology Tushar Agrawal 75.92%Economics Arjun Saraswat 82.32%Multimedia & Web Tech Tushar Agrawal 94.60%History Tarang Tripathi 64.95%Psychology Tarang Tripathi 91.60%Geography Tarang Tripathi 86.85%QuizSpotlight on Olympics :THE SCINDIA SCHOOL REVIEW ’091. Where and when were the first modernOlympics held ?2. Where and when will the next SummerOlympics be held ?3. Who is the most successful Olympian ever?4. What are the colours of the Olympic rings?5. Who was the 2008 Beijing Olympics Mascot?6. Where were the Last Winter Olympics held?7. Where were the Y2K Olympics or the XXIXOlympiad held?8. What is the Olympic Motto?9. When was the last time that the summer andwinter Olympics were held in the same year?10. What do the five Olympic rings represent?The answers will come in the next issue.Kartikeya K. Bhargava, X AAnswers to Quiz of 1st April :1. Anand, in Gujrat2. Nek Chand3. Indira Gandhi4. Inquilab Zindabad5. Sher Shah Suri Marg6. It had no first class divisions .This was donein deference to the Mahatma who nevertraveled first class.7. ‘Let Truth Prevail’8. The Governor9. River Damodar10. MeghalayaEditor’s note :Please submit your answers to VaibhavAggarwal at the earliest. The first all-correctentry will win a chocolate.OPINION POLLIs the new Math lab helping thestudents to learn Mathematicsin an easier way ?12%No13%Can’tSay75%YesNumber of students who voted : 104The Feeling OfBeing AScindian!!Sometimes, a few things come very late inlife……………sometimes it’s very late thatwe feel something which we were supposed tofeel much earlier.31st December 2008. It was late night and likeeveryone else, I was on my bed. At midnightwhen I looked at my watch I got into deepmeditation. In a few minutes the dormantfeeling of being a Scindian started surging inme. It was then that I decided to pen down myfeelings to make all Scindians feel all that I hadfelt a minute ago.It has been more than three years since I leftschool. But the feeling of being a Scindian isvery much alive even now. Suddenly I couldfeel the stirrings of a writer within me. We knowof a lot of success stories from the businessand the glamour world. All these people, be itTata, Salman Khan, Danny Boyle, MukeshAmbani or anyone else, had been raw andinexperienced at some time. Then what was itthat made them different and successful. Toachieve success a person must have heightenedsensitivity and clear thinking. The greatest ofsuccess stories have been scripted by peoplewho could think and plan ahead with greatprecision.As children, all of us have sundry limitations.To ensure a bright and promising future forthe child each parent tries to do the best forhis ward. The choice of a school is also ofimmense import. Some children stay at homeand some like me leave the comfort of theirhomes to join Scindia. It is this momentousdecision of our parents which adds the lettersSC to our Indian identity and we becomeproud Scindians – here I would like to addthat the two are not mutually exclusive but aScindian definitely has an edge over others.It’s been a few years since I passed out but theimportance and significance of being aScindian dawned on me only at the dawn ofthis new year. What a beautiful co-incidencethat along with this I discovered yet anotherwonderful quality in me, that I too can write.Bharat Agarwal(Ex Jp, batch of 2005)Contact :Tel.: 0135 - 3246450/51thebharatworld@yahoo.inwebsite(bharatagarwal.com)The School is closing on Friday,24th April. The next issue ofReview will come out on Saturday,1st August.

April 15, 2009 | Number : 910THE SCINDIA SCHOOL REVIEW ’09 pg 08Trip to PachmarhiOh! How relieved I was once the Finalexaminations got over. What further upliftedmy spirits was the fact that we the students ofclass VIII, were leaving for the Duke ofEdinburgh trek the very next day. The verythought of this fulfilled adventure trek after thestress of exams refreshed me.We left for Pachmarhi on the 22nd of Marchand reached there by lunch time the next day.Since all of us were tired we had a quick biteand then went off to sleep in our cosy sleepingbags.The next day we went for a trek up to the ‘Beefall’ which is called so because when the waterdroplets fall on the body the sensation is verymuch like the sting of bees. All the fatigue andexhaustion of the arduous trek disappearedunder the cool and refreshing water of the fall.I was about to board a train to Dubai, when Isaw a stranger staring at me. I felt ratheruncomfortable. Soon the train arrived and justas I was about to board it he came to me andcried, “Shikha, where were you? I’ve beenlooking for you everywhere. I’m sorry Iquarreled with you that night. Please comeback with me to California.” “Excuse me, I’mnot Shikha. I’ve never been to California and Idon’t know who you are. I think there has beensome misunderstanding.” I said and thestranger looked at me in surprise. “Oh! I amso sorry. I was looking for my wife. You lookexactly like her, I can’t believe it.” I decided tosneak away quietly before he got confusedagain and decided to take me to California.Suddenly I saw that the train had startedmoving. I began to run and all the way I wascursing the man for causing me thisinconvenience. “I wish he’d never find his wife”I wished in anger. Thanks to a lady who sawOn that day some more schools joined us. Itwas nice making friends with students fromdifferent schools and places. We went for atrek on each of the five days and by the end ofthe camp we had covered a formidabledistance of 70 kms. A number of interestingactivities had been planned for us to make thecamp truly memorable. Some of these werethe same as are used in military training. Wehad obstacle crossing, tyre crossing, barbedwire crossing, balancing bridge, commandobridge etc. We also went for rock climbing,rappelling, camel ride , archery and shooting.I got an opportunity to do so many things whichI could never have imagined. Climbing a rockwith the help of a rope was indeed a thrillingexperience. Though I was a bit apprehensivein the beginning soon I got over my fears andparticipated in each of the events to make themost of this wonderful opportunity.Our teacher escorts Mrs Raksha Siriah, MrJitendra Jawale, Mr Gopal Chaturvedi and MrDhananjay Sharma took great care of us andalso participated in all the activities with greatgusto. This trip was one of the most wonderfulexperiences of my life. I wish we have moresuch camps.Anish Garodia, IX ALife is Full of Surprisesme and pulled the chain I was able to catch thetrain. But, was it the end? I had a feeling therewas more to it.A year passed by. I teach painting in a HighSchool in Dubai. One day, a couple had comefor the admission of their daughter. Theprincipal sent them to me for an interview.There was a knock on my door. “Come in.” Isaid. They came in and sat behind the canvason which I was busy painting. I peeped frombehind the canvas. For a minute I thought Iwas looking in a mirror, for there was a girlwho looked just like me!!! I couldn’t believe it.She too was staring at me in disbelief. But, herhusband whom I hadn’t noticed cried, “You’rethe one, aren’t you? You’re the one whom Imistook for my wife.” “Life is full of surprises.”I tell myself as I recall the incident.Sugandha Shukla, VI AThe ScientificOdysseyAfter the promotions exams, we the studentsof Class XI Science embarked on a visit to thePremier Scientific Research Institutes of NewDelhi. I would call it – a path of scientific self –discovery. It was an overwhelming experiencefor all of us and a very educative trip.We visited the leading research institutes ofIndia – IUAC ( Inter – University AcceleratorCentre), NPL ( National Physical Laboratory)and NII ( National Institute of Immunology).In IUAC, we saw the Pelletron Acceleratorlocated in a 7-storey high tower. One of thescientists – Dr. Pankaj Kumar explained ingreat detail – the principle, use and workingof the accelerator. It was on amazingexperience to touch and feel the actualaccelerator tube and ion source. Initially, wewere a bit hesitant to touch it because Dr. PankajKumar informed us that it works at a potentialof 16 million volts, using huge electromagnets.On the morning of 26th March, we visited NPLas scheduled. NPL is one of the earliestlaboratories set up under CSIR – a leadingR&D institution in Physical Sciences. It is alsothe custodian of the National Standards. Wehad the opportunity to see the time andfrequency section explained by Dr. A.K. Suri,one of the scientists involved in Antarcticresearch since 1981. We also got to see themass meteorology and temperature labs andthe details were patiently explained to us.In the afternoon we visited NII where the majorresearch areas are – infections, immunemechanism, genetics, cancer biology etc. Wesaw neuro immunology lab and the productdevelopment lab where new drugs aredeveloped.Not only did we get to know the strides Indiahas made in the field of Scientific Researchand Development we were also informedbriefly about the future projects. We felt dwarfedby the efforts, the scientists are making for thebenefit of the nation and came out admiringtheir indomitable spirit.Jalaj Prakash, XII APublished by : The Principal, Scindia School, Gwalior Web Support : Mr Raj Kumar KapoorStaff Editors : Ms Puja Pant, Dr B.S. Bhakuni, Ms Raksha Siriah Plates by : Mr Dinesh SiriahEditor-in-Chief : Vaibhav Aggarwal Technical Support : Mr Jitendra JawaleSenior Editors : Prithvi Khanna, Nishant Rana, Tarang Tripathi Printed by : Deepak Screen and Offset Printers (P) Ltd., GwaliorAssociate Editors : Rishabh Jain, Ujjaval Agarwal, Kartikeya Bhargava, Tuhin Pandey, URL : www.scindia.eduYashraj Nain, Shashank Singh, Swarn Sadana, Taha Khan OLD BOYS’ SITE : www.scindiaoldboys.comArt Editor : Ojasvi Singh April 15, 2009 | WPP : Regn.No.Gwl.Dn.11Correspondents : Ronit Borpujari, Nimish Pahuja, Prateek Bhalotia, Feedback : review@scindia.eduAditya Sharma, Manas Pant, Sansrisht Bhatia Price : Re. 1If undelivered, please return to : The Scindia School, Fort, Gwalior - 474 008 (M.P.)Junior HouseEveningThe tension of the impending promotionexaminations was mounting and the boys ofthe Junior Houses were really busy. On the onehand they were burning the midnight oilstudying for the exams, on the other hand theywere practicing diligently to put up a grandshow for the Junior House evening.After days of late night practices under the ableguidance of our teachers, we finally put up theJunior House evening on the 3rd of April at theSMOAT. I felt really happy and privileged toanchor the programme which began on amusical note with a Nirguni Bhajan sung bythe students of Class VI. This was followed bytwo English numbers “Mocking Bind Trills and“Puff, the Magic Dragon” also sung by the boysof Class VI who charmed everyone with theircherubic innocence and sweet melody. Nocultural function can be complete without adance performance so the first dance of theevening was a solo semi classical dancepresented by Sugandha Shukla. Her nimblesteps and graceful movements mesmerizedeveryone. Next was a delightful English Play“Peggy, the pint size Pirate.” The story revolvedaround Peggy a small girl who is very keen tobe a pirate but due to her pint size gets rejectedby the captains of all the ships. However sheproves her bravery when along with her friendScummy she rescues the pirates who had beencaptured by a sea monster. All the actors putup commendable performances. KanishkMahip as the sea monster was quite adorable.Soon after this, the boys of Class VII set thestage on fire dancing rhythmically to the tuneof ‘Dhoom Dhoom’. I’m sure if they were tojoin the film industry, they’d offer a toughcompetition to Hrithik Roshan.Then came the Hindi play “Mhari Sundari”.This was the story of Jaipal a small village boywho dotes on his buffalo. The surprise elementin the play was the entry of a buffalo (enactedby Rohin Kar and Siddharth Bhardwaj) withJaipal seated on it. Everyone burst into peals oflaughter at this delectable sight. The play wasindeed a grand success.The last event was a folk dance fromChattisgarh. The scene of a village had beenrecreated on stage and the boys who lookedravishing in colourful ghagra cholis, dancedwith such grace that they would put eventrained dances to shame.With this the show came to an end. Thedeafening applause of the audience made itamply clear how much they had enjoyed theevening. The boys of Junior School weredelighted. They had proved that they are noless to the seniors when it comes to talent.Aditya Sharma, VII B