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=== Theatre and Music ===
=== Theatre and Music ===
The school houses two large venues for indoor productions, these are Sri Shankar Lal Auditorium and the M.N. Kanpur Hall (formerly the gymnasium).
The school houses two large venues for indoor productions, these are Sri Shankar Lal Hall and the M.N. Kanpur Hall (formerly the gymnasium).


== School Songs ==
== School Songs ==
Line 150: Line 150:
{{wide image|Modern School, Delhi Panorama.jpg|1000px|A panoramic view of the main building}}
{{wide image|Modern School, Delhi Panorama.jpg|1000px|A panoramic view of the main building}}


==Notable alumni==
==Notable People==

=== Law ===
*[[Sanjay Kishan Kaul]] — Chief Justice of Madras High Court
*[[Mukul Rohatgi]] — [[Attorney General of India]]
*[[Neeraj Kishan Kaul]] - [[Sr. Advocate , Addiitonal Solicitor General Of India ]]

=== Public Service ===
*[[Priyanka Gandhi]] — daughter of [[Rajiv Gandhi]] and granddaughter of [[Indira Gandhi]]
*[[Varun Gandhi]] — politician, grandson of [[Indira Gandhi]]
*[[Gopal Krishna Gandhi]] — Governor, West Bengal and Bihar, grandson of [[Mahatma Gandhi]]
*[[Sandeep Dikshit]] — Member of Parliament
*[[Arun Shourie]] — journalist, author and politician
*[[Kamalesh Sharma]] - Secretary General of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], High Commissioner of India in UK
*[[Air Chief Marshal]] S.K. Mehra — [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)]] from 1988–91
*[[Air Chief Marshal]] P.C. Lall

=== Media ===
*[[Abhay Sopori]] Santoor maestro and music composer
*[[Abhishek Bachchan]] — Actor
*[[Amaan Ali Khan]] — musician, composer
*[[Ayaan Ali Khan]] — musician, composer
*[[Alok Nath]] — Actor and Sanskaari
*[[Amitava Kumar]] &ndash; Author.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amitavakumar.com/?page_id=33 |title=On English Textbooks |publisher=Amitavakumar.com |date= |accessdate=2012-08-29}}</ref>
*[[Amjad Ali Khan]] — musician, composer.<ref name="Akademi1973">{{citation|author=Sangeet Natak Akademi|title=Sangeet natak|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=NdcKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22amjad+a.+khan%22+%22modern+school%22&dq=%22amjad+a.+khan%22+%22modern+school%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Bg_tT_jMD9D2mAXjwNXfDQ&redir_esc=y|accessdate=29 June 2012|year=1973|page=21}} which says, "Amjad was taken along to meet the principal of Modern School and was formally admitted as a day scholar."</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article1156219.ece Concert review in the ''Hindu''] which says, "Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, all alumni of Modern School, paid musical homage to educationist M.N. Kapur."</ref><ref>[http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-30/news-and-interviews/28370154_1_amjad-ali-khan-ayaan-sarod-maestro Announcement in the ''Times of India''] (which says, "Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan was the first one in his family to receive formal education. He studied at Modern School, Barakhamba Road, while concentrating on music. As he performs at his alma mater today evening — as a part of "Gurusmaranam", MN Kapur centenary celebration by Modern School's Old Students Association — along with Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan, he is bound to revisit his school days' memories."</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/storyOld.php?storyId=13034 article in the ''Statesman'' newspaper by Saeed Naqvi] which says, "Amjad Ali had just passed out of Modern School when I joined the Statesman."</ref>
*[[Amrita Singh]] — actress
*[[Barkha Dutt]] — TV journalist
*[[Ekta Choudhry]] — Miss India Universe 2009
*[[Gauri Khan]] — producer, model, and wife of [[Bollywood]] actor [[Shah Rukh Khan]]
*[[Khushwant Singh]] — author, journalist
*[[Madhup Mudgal]] — classical vocalist
*[[Shekhar Kapur]] — filmmaker
*[[Siddharth Bhardwaj]] — VJ on MTV and Winner of MTV Splitsvilla 2
*[[Vikramaditya Chandra]] — CEO of [[NDTV]]
*[[Yamini Reddy]] — [[Kuchipudi]] Dancer
*[[Karan Soni]] - Hollywood Actor<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4175221/</ref>

=== Medicine, Science and Technology ===
*[[Arvinder Singh Soin]] - Liver transplant surgeon
*[[Aditi Shankardass]] — Neuroscientist
*[[Deepak Puri]] — Chairman and Managing Director, [[Moser Baer]]
*[[Naresh Trehan]] — Surgeon, and Chairman of [[Medanta]] - The Medicity

=== Sports ===
*[[Daniel Chopra]] — Golfer
*[[Gaurav Ghei]] — Golfer
*[[Gautam Gambhir]] — Cricketer
*[[Kirti Azad]] — Cricketer
*[[Tania Sachdev]] — Chess Grandmaster
*[[Samresh Jung]]— Shooter
*[[Shiv Kapur]]- Golfer
*[[Unmukt Chand]] — Cricketer

* [[Vishal Uppal]] - Tennis player

*[[Karan Salwan]] - Tennis player
Dakshayan Varshaney Cricket AND CHESS INTERNATIONAL

=== Business ===
* [[Rajat Gupta]] - Former Managing Director of [[McKinsey & Company]]
* [[Gurcharan Das]] - Former CEO of [[Procter & Gamble]] India
* [[Varun Thapar]] - Director of KCT Coal Sales


==Old Modernites==
==Old Modernites==

Revision as of 09:40, 4 September 2015

The Modern School New Delhi
Address
Map
Barakhamba Road

New Delhi

India
Coordinates28°37′42″N 77°13′46″E / 28.6283°N 77.2295°E / 28.6283; 77.2295
Information
TypeIndependent School
MottoNyaymatma Balheenien Labhya
Founded20 October 1920
FounderLala Raghubir Singh
Sister schoolRaghubir Singh Junior Modern School, Humayun Road
Modern School, Vasant Vihar
Modern School, Kundli
PresidentAshok Pratap Singh
PrincipalDr. Vijay Dutta
Faculty130
GenderCoeducational
Number of pupils2700+
CampusUrban
Area27 acres (110,000 m2)
Houses15
Student Union/AssociationModern School Old Students' Association
Color(s)Blue
PublicationSandesh
AffiliationCBSE
Former pupilsModernites
Websitewww.modernschool.net

The Modern School (informally Modern) is a co-educational independent school in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1920 by Lala Raghubir Singh, a prominent Delhi-based philanthropist, in Daryaganj. He envisioned a school that would combine the "best of ancient Indian tradition with the needs of the times."[1] The school's first principle, Mrs. Kamala Bose, a Bengali Christian, was a vociferous advocate of educational reform in India[2] and her founding vision coupled with Lala Raghubir Singh's nationalist leanings gave birth to a school destined to be rated among the best in India: it was more Indian than the imitation public schools set up by the British for the sons of aristocracy, and more liberal than other educational institutions.[3] The present principle is Dr. Vijay Dutta, who has occupied the post since 2014 and is the sixth principle of the school.[4]

The school fosters internationalism and is a founding member of CDLS (Community Development and Leadership Summit). It also facilitates numerous international workshops and exchange programs. Modern houses roughly 2,700 pupils aged 12 to 18. Admission to the school is based on the number of vacancies in classes VI to IX and XI, as most students are admitted directly from Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School, Humayun Road, New Delhi. Modern School students take the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination in classes tenth and twelfth.

Modern has consistently been ranked as one of the best schools in Delhi[5][6] and among the top five day-cum-boarding schools nationwide[7][8] by media such as The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, and India Today. Its sister school, Modern School, Vasant Vihar, also ranks among Delhi's best schools in a similar ranking by Outlook.[9] It is the first private and coeducational school established in Delhi during the British Raj.[10][11][12] Modern has two sister schools: Modern School, Vasant Vihar, and most recently, Modern School, Kundli. Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School serves as the junior wing of Modern School, Barakhamba Road. Although, the total number of Modernites is relatively small, they include some of India's most prominent politicians, government officials, and business leaders. The best known alumni are former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and author Khushwant Singh.

History

Origins

Modern School was founded by Lala Raghubir Singh, an established businessman and banker. He belonged to a Rajput family that had converted to Jainism and settled in Delhi. His father, Rai Bahadur Lala Sultan Singh, was an accountant and banker (khazanchi) with the Imperial Bank of India, and was well-regarded by both the British rulers and Indian princes. In many ways, Sultan Singh was the first citizen of Delhi, he was the Chairman of the Delhi Municipal Corporation, founder chairman of Delhi Cloth Mills, and a founder and member of various charities. Even though he enjoyed

Syeda Saiyidain Hameed recounts an early anecdote in the genesis of Modern School where she suggests Sushil Kumar Rudra, erstwhile Principal of St. Stephen's College, New Delhi, Reverend C.F. Andrews, a teaching member of St. Stephen's College, and Lala Sultan Singh laid the foundation for a school when they embarked on a journey to England.

Soon after his return from London, Sultan Singh enrolled Raghubir Singh in St. Stephen's College and hired a private tutor, W. Winstanley Pearson, to supplement his knowledge of the modern world, languages, and politics. In the letters that were exchanged and the mentorship that followed between young Raghubir and Willie Pearson, the idea for school that would combine the traditions of Indian education with modern educational techniques was born.[13]

In fact, Sultan Singh bequeathed his sprawling mansion with extensive grounds in Daryaganj for the purpose of establishing Modern School.

Founding Ethos

Lala Raghubir Singh was the spirit and the soul of the school. The primary founder, he worked for the improvement of the school and in this endeavour he teamed up with Sardar Sobha Singh. Sardar Sobha Singh was the co-founder of the school. A builder during the height of the Raj, he was involved in the construction of buildings in Delhi like Connaught Place, National Museum, Modern School, South Block and India Gate. His own two sons, Bhagwant Singh and Khushwant Singh (the noted writer) were amongst the first students of Modern School.

The Crest

The crest signifies the circle of eternity crossed by the three elements in human development of body, mind and spirit, the sun shining between the triangle and the circle. Inside the triangle, there is a banyan tree to represent stability and firmness of character, the swan and the lotus represent refinement, culture and the arts which are fundamental elements of progress in life. The school slogan is Naimatma Balheenien Labhya, a Sanskrit quotation which can be translated into English to mean "Perfection Cannot be Achieved by the Weak."[14] Besides the school motto, there are four words, Truthfulness, Unselfishness, Frankness and Self-Control which guide each child in his or her daily life.

Principals

The first principal of Modern School was Mrs. Kamala Bose, a Bengali Christian, who travelled from Calcutta to accept the position.

K.Bose, 1920-1947
M.N. Kapur, 1947-1977
S.P. Bakshi, 1982-1996
R.K. Bhatia, 1996-2000
L.Vaidyanathan, 2000-2014
V. Dutta, 2014–Present

A Dream Turns Seventy Five

The school is headed by a Board of Trustees, who appoint the Principal (Barakhamba Road and Vasant Vihar) and the Head Master (Humayun Road). It has 15 houses in the Barakhamba branch and eight houses in the Vasant Vihar branch, each headed by a housemaster.

It has a 27-acre (110,000 m2) campus on Barakhamba Road, near Connaught Place.

In 1932 there were about 125 students.

In 1932, the school moved to a building in New Delhi built by Sir Sobha Singh.

[15]

The words of Rabindranath Tagore are embodied in the philosophy of the founding fathers of Modern School. The Modern School was started in 1920 in Daryaganj.

The school motto is "Nyaymatma Balheenien Labhya" (in Sanskrit) meaning "Perfection Cannot be Achieved by the Weak"

Campus

'Sir Sobha Singh' (1890-1978), co-founder of Modern School

The school occupies a single campus covering approximately twenty-seven acres and is flanked by Maharaja Ranjit Singh Marg and Barakhamba Road in the heart of New Delhi, India. The school moved from its makeshift location at Lala Sultan Singh's bungalow at 24 Daryaganj to its current location on Barakhamba Road in 1933. Designed by C.G. and F.B. Blomfield - members of Edwin Lutyens' team, which was responsible for designing the imperial capital - the Main Building is classic example of the Edwardian Classical revival style in New Delhi.

Houses

Cricket Field with Platinum Jubilee Block (background).

Modern School follows the house system. When the school opened in 1920, there were a handful of houses. Today there are fifteen houses

Academics

School Activities

Sports

Sports are an integral part of the school curriculum. The school has two large playing grounds, the Main Ground and the Cricket Field. Hockey, cricket, athletics, basketball, and association football are played throughout the school year. Tennis, table tennis, badminton, squash, and swimming are also available. Sport is dominated by basketball, hockey, cricket, and association football, in which the schools competes nationally, at the state-level, and in inter-school and inter-house competitions. Sports facilities include an Olympic-size swimming pool, six clay tennis courts, three squash courts, two basketball courts, facilities for indoor badminton and table tennis, two cricket pitches, two fields for hockey and football (which can be converted to cricket pitches to accommodate seasonal sports), and a athletic track. The football team is sponsored by Nike and the swimming and table tennis team by Reebok. There is a golf academy by Taylor Made and also a tennis academy.

Clubs & Societies

Extracurricular activities are a compulsory element of school life at Modern. The school magazine, Sandesh, is published each school term in English and Hindi (its sister publications include the Vasant Prayag at Modern School, Vasant Vihar, and Prayas at Modern School, Kundli). There are around twenty clubs and societies, including aero-modelling, drama, painting, sculpture, community service, carpentry, music, senior and junior English debating societies, economics, astronomy,[16] computer science, physics, and robotics. In many societies pupils come together to discuss a particular topic, presided over by a faculty member and often including a guest speaker. The school has often invited prominent figures to give speeches and talks to the students; these have included heads of state, politicians, ornithologists, naturalists, artists, writers, economists, diplomats, and industrialists. The Modern School Leadership lecture series invites prominent alumni to address the school assembly twice every school year. Major clubs include Bits 'N' Bytes (computer science), Debating Society, Interact Club, SPIC MACAY, and the SAPTAK.

Bits 'N' Bytes is one of the oldest school societies dating back to 1988. It organizes ACCESS, an annual tech symposium, in the month of December. In 2013, the society won the TCS IT Wiz and simultaneously celebrated its Silver Jubilee.[17] The Debating Society is very active during the school year, as it hosts the Raghubir Singh Inter-school Debate, the Pratap Singh Inter-school Debate, and usually helps organize the Annual MSOSA Inter-school Debate.[18] Interact was inaugurated in 1983 by the then Vice-President of India, Muhammad Hidayat Ullah, and has since grown into a prominent school society. Its activities include donations to orphanages, recycling drives, ant-piracy drives, and an annual blood donation camp. The club has been awarded a certificate in recognition of its services to the community by Chief Minister of Delhi, Shiela Dixit.[19] SPIC MACAY, a national society for the promotion of Indian classical music and culture amongst youth, organizes a SPIC MACAY week every school term.[20] Past performers include Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Sonal Mansingh, Sitara Devi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Birju Maharaj.[21][22] Other event organized include Cyclotron[23] (the annual inter-school physics symposium) and Unquestionably Modern (a annual Quiz competition). Modern School is also a leading member of the Model United Nations and its ModMUN conference is one of the biggest in Asia[24] attracting as many as 900 international students for the 2013 conference. Due to its size, prestige, and popularity, it is the largest student organized MUN in the world.[25]

Theatre and Music

The school houses two large venues for indoor productions, these are Sri Shankar Lal Hall and the M.N. Kanpur Hall (formerly the gymnasium).

School Songs

Affiliations

Ties with Other Schools

From its foundation in 1920 to 1960, Modern School housed classes from Montessori to grade twelfth. This ended in 1961 when Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School was established on Humanyu Road, New Delhi, as the school's primary wing. In 1975, Modern School, Vasant Vihar was founded as the first sister school under the leadership of Mr. Ved Vyas, a well regarded[26][27] Hindi teacher at Modern School, Barakhamba Road.[28] Similarly, in 2014, another sister school was established in Kundli under the directorship of Mrs. Neelam Puri[29], a former junior headmistress at Modern School, Barakhamba Road.[30] In its foundational years the school also shared a close relationship with St. Stephen's College, New Delhi, but changing demographics, differing class structures, and quotas and reservations have distilled this association.

Modern also has an exchange program with a number of overseas schools. As of September 2012, a small number of Modern School students were attending Brisbane Grammar School, Australia; Malay College, Malaysia; St. George's Girls' School, Malaysia; Chua Chu Kang Secondary School, Singapore; and Clifton School, South Africa. Other schools include The Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University and New Oriental School of Foreign Languages in China,  Liebigschule Gießen in Germany, Philippine Science High School in The Philippines, SMA Negari 4 Denser School in Indonesia, and Dominion High School, Virginia, and Peddie School, New Jersey, in the United States. Since 2010, Modern has twinned with Chua Chu Kang Secondary School, Singapore under the Twinning Program. It is also a part of ISA, UKIERI, and the Australia India Collaboration.[31]

Schools with Similar Names

As private schools become more widespread in India, several other schools use "Modern" as part of their names, causing some confusion. Among them are Modern School, Lucknow (now Vidyatree Modern World College)[32]; Modern School, Nagpur[33]; Modern School, Faridabad[34]; Doha Modern Indian School, Doha, Qatar[35]; Modern Indian School, Kathmandu, Nepal[36]; and Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata[37]. None of them is related to The Modern School, Barakhamba Road.[38]

Memberships

The Modern School is a member of the following organizations: Indian Public Schools' Conference (IPSC), National Progressive Schools' Conference (NPSC)[39], and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).[40]

Public Image

Modern in Films, Television & Theatre

Modern in Literature

Modern in Research

A panoramic view of the main building

Notable People

Old Modernites

Modern School Old Students Association,[42] or MSOSA works to bring together old Modernites. The association has more than 15000 members. MSOSA has engaged in cultural and sporting activities to raise funds for supporting philanthropic activities, contributing to national causes like Kargil war relief in 1999, Gujarat earthquake in 2000, and Tsunami relief effort in 2004. The Modernites Trust was created in 1983 by MSOSA to support these charitable and philanthropic activities.

The Trust supports a Scholarship Programme under which free education in Modern School is provided to meritorious and needy students from the under-privileged sections of society. Since its inception, there have been over 60 beneficiaries. Eighteen students are studying in Modern School, Barakhamba Road under this program.[43]

References

  1. ^ Singh, Khushwant (1991). A Dream Turns Seventy-Five: The Modern School, 1920-1995. New Delhi, India: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 5. ISBN 978-8170234999.
  2. ^ Bose, Kamala (1997). A Dream Turns Seventy Five: The Modern School, 1920-1995. New Delhi, India: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 42. ISBN 978-8170234999.
  3. ^ Singh, Khushwant (2002). Truth, Love, and a Little Malice: An Autobiography. New Delhi, India: Penguin Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-0143029571.
  4. ^ "Principal, Modern School". Modern School. Retrieved http://modernschool.net/administration-principal.html. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ "The Hindustan Times". Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  6. ^ "The Times School Survey". Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Education World". Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  8. ^ "India Today". Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Outlook India". Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  10. ^ Singh, Khushwant (1995). A Dream Turns Seventy Five: Modern School, 1920-1995. New Delhi, India: Allied Publishers Ltd. p. 7. ISBN 9788170234999.
  11. ^ Singh, Khushwant (2002). Truth, Love and a Little Malice. New Delhi, India: Penguin Books. p. 14. ISBN 978-0143029571.
  12. ^ Sharma, Ram Nath (2004). "Famous Public Schools in India" in Problems of Education in India. New Delhi, India: Atlantic Publishers. p. 178. ISBN 817156612. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  13. ^ Hameed, Syeda Saiyidain (1995). A Dream Turns Seventy Five: Modern School, 1920-1995. New Delhi, India: Allied Publishers Ltd. p. 11. ISBN 9788170234999.
  14. ^ The History: The School Crest
  15. ^ "Modern School". Modern School. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  16. ^ "Modern School Astronomy Club". Modern School. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  17. ^ "Bits 'N' Bytes".
  18. ^ "Modern School Debating Society". Modern School. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  19. ^ "Modern School Interact Club". Modern School. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Modern School Spic Macay". Modern School. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  21. ^ "SPIC MACAY". Modern School. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  22. ^ "SPIC MACAY At Berkeley". University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Modern School: Physics Club".
  24. ^ "ModMUN 2015". Modern School. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  25. ^ Talwar, Vidul. "ModMUN 2015". www.modmun.org. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  26. ^ "Ved Vyas, first principal of Modern School Vasant Vihar, passes away". Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  27. ^ "Excellence Indeed-Founder, Mentor and Inspirer, Mr. Ved Vyas passes away". KNOWLEDGIFIED. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  28. ^ "Modern School Vasant Vihar". www.modernschoolvv.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  29. ^ "The Modern School | Director's Message". modernschoolec.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 21 (help)
  30. ^ "The Modern School | EDUCATION CITY NCR – DELHI". modernschoolec.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 21 (help)
  31. ^ "Modern-School". www.modernschool.net. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  32. ^ "Vidyatree Modern World College - Previously The Modern School". Vidyatree Modern World College. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  33. ^ "Home". Modern School Nagpur. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  34. ^ "++++ Modern School ++++". modernschoolindia.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  35. ^ Group, Taleb. "DMIS Home Page". www.dmisqatar.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  36. ^ "Modern Indian School - Official Website". www.misktm.edu.np. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  37. ^ "Modern High School for Girls | HomePage". www.mhsforgirls.edu.in. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  38. ^ "Modern-School". modernschool.net. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  39. ^ "National Progressive Schools' Conference". The National Progressive Schools' Conference. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  40. ^ "Modern-School". modernschool.net. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  41. ^ "The Times of India". Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  42. ^ msosa.com
  43. ^ "Scholarship Programme". The Modernites Trust. Retrieved 13 January 2012.

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