1st February 2009 - The Scindia School

The FounderMaharaja Madhavrao Jayaji Rao ScindiaBoard of GovernorsPresidentH.H. Maharaja Jyotiraditya M. ScindiaMembersShrimant Rajmata Madhaviraje ScindiaMr. Vinay Kumar ModiMr. Mahesh GandhiMr. Arun KanodiaMr. Harpal SinghMr. Rajendra S. PawarMrs. Sujata KulshreshthaMr. Arun KapurMr. Kapil DevMr. Bharat V. PatelMr. Anurag BansalMr. Vivek Narayan ShejwalkarSecretary/PrincipalMr. N.K. TewariVice-PrincipalMr. Jayant TengsheBursarLt. Col. Jayant RaoScindia Old Boys' AssociationPresidentLt. Gen S.P.S. DhillionVice PresidentMr. Vikram MathurMr. Gopal BhargavaTreasurerMr. K.M. AgarwalSecretaryMr. Prashant GangwalJt. SecretaryMr Sandeep AgrawalSchool Contact DetailsThe Scindia School, The Fort,Gwalior - 474008. MP, INDIA.Telephone : +91-751-2480750Fax : +91-751-2480650CONTENTSFrom the Principal’s Desk 04 Literary Section 15Colours of LifeEditorial 05Arvind Singupuram, VIII BStudent Achievements 08Old Boys’ News 09Alumni Section 10Animadversions of a RebelAbhimanyu Acharya PhD. (Ex Ja, Batch of 1969)Dusk & Dawn at Astachal 11Atulya Misra IAS(Ex Mj, Batch of 1983)Staff 12Expressions Unlimited…Mr. Sanjeevan BoseHOD (Faculty of English and Foreign Languages)Message Board 13Reminiscences - What is the one thing thatyou did but were not caught?Interview 14Lt. General SPS DhillonEx Ravindra, Batch of 1965 with Sahil Choudhary,Senior Editor - The Scindia School ReviewRound Square ’08 Local to GlobalAakash Surana, IX DFrom the Archives 17Timeless - Some Things Never ChangeThe C.B.S.E. Monster 1983Subodh Agarwal(Extract from the School Review,No. 572, March 15 ’83)The C.B.S.E. Monster 2009Aayush Tandon, X BE-mail : office@scindia.eduWebsite : www.scindia.edu 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.VOL 2 | February 2009

FROM THEPrincipal’s DeskOne of the most satisfying aspects of being the principal of a residential school is having the opportunityto spend time with the children, and to watch them grow intellectually, physically and socially.We provide an atmosphere of love, motivation, inspiration and encouragement to bring out the best inthe students. Our aim is not simply to achieve academic excellence but to ensure the all round excellenceof the child. The objective is to provide a rich and challenging environment for the students to exploreand learn in their own way. We mould them to grow up as secure and independent adults full of selfconfidence, enthusiasm for learning, social skills, wholesome attitude, self discipline and an organizedapproach to problem solving. I can say with conviction that the Scindians have all the ingredients forsuccess i.e. dedicated and highly experienced teachers and unparalleled facilities for academics, sportsand cultural activities.We take pride in an excellent infrastructure that continued to see upgradations in this quarter. A mathslab has been set up in school. This lab offers teaching and learning aids which will enable studentsto assimilate concepts better. To make the campus more student friendly, work has started towards thecreation of a children’s park. An artistic rockery complete with a waterfall is also coming up and will addto the beauty of this majestic Fort. A water recycling plant has been set up which yields enough water formultifarious uses on the Fort.Scindia 111 was celebrated with much more than traditional splendour. The grandeur and magnificenceof the event will remain forever etched in the minds of those who attended it. The Old Boys who visitedthe school in large numbers were accorded a warm welcome. We also got an opportunity to interactwith parents without whose partnership we would not have been able to create such a unique learningenvironment.The 69 th Indian Public Schools Headmasters’ Conference was hosted successfully by the Scindia School.Headmasters of the leading Public Schools deliberated on education related issues and discussed strategiesto achieve the goal of academic excellence. The delegates were all praise for the smooth conduct of theconference and the great hospitality extended to them. Kudos to the team of teachers who paid minuteattention to each detail to make the event such a resounding success.Class X and XII will soon be appearing for their board exams. We have provided them with closelysupervised study within a dynamic and interactive environment. I wish them all success in their academicpursuits. May they do us proud.N. K. TewariPrincipal, The Scindia SchoolQila Quotes | From the Principal's Desk | 4 VOL 2 | February 2009

EditorialThe beginning of the quarter saw the campusabuzz with activity as the school gearedfor the Scindia 111 Celebrations. After thegrand success of the event, students left foreducational camps to various scenic andexciting places. The half yearly exams wereconducted in the first week of Decemberand on the 13 th of December, the School wasclosed for a three week winter vacation.Realizing the growing need for preservationof resources and to attain greater selfsufficiency, a pilot project for water recyclingby natural method was initiated in theschool. Around 20,000 litres of waste waterfrom Jayaji and Ranoji Houses was recycledto yield 12,000 litres of water which was thenused for gardening purposes. The projectis now being replicated in other houses.The delegates of the IPSC Headmasters’Conference, greatly impressed with theproject, expressed a desire to introduce it intheir schools.The land opposite old Mahadji andJeevaji houses, which was earlier used asa garbage dump, is now being convertedinto a children’s park. The first step in thisdirection is the construction of a rockerywith a waterfall. This helps oxygenate waterat the Dhobitaal, thus preventing breeding ofmosquitoes.CELEBRATIONSScindia 111, a three day extravaganza, wascelebrated with great pomp and show. Variousevents like paragliding, fun rides on hot airballoon were organized. An army exhibition whichincluded daredevilry exhibited by the skydivers ofthe ‘Aakashganga’ and the riders of the ‘Tornadoes’bike team, was inaugurated by Lt. General SPSDhillon (ex Ravindra-’65), Deputy Chief of ArmyStaff. There was a display of yoga aasans by thejunior school boys and a performance by theschool brass band. The beautiful exhibits crafted bystudents during the hobby classes were showcasedin the science block and were highly appreciated.The old boys had organized the Mika show whichadded great zing to the festivities. The variouspublications of the School were also released.The Founder’s Day function comprised of aperformance by the School orchestra, an Englishplay and prize distribution by the Chief Guest Mr.Sunil Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.On Gandhi Jayanti homage was paid to the Fatherof the Nation at the Astachal. The Social ServiceLeague organized lunch for the class IV employeesof the School and some visitors of Sonsa village.The Shramjeevis also put up a much enjoyedentertainment program.On Friday, 14 th November, Bal Divas Samarohwas organized for the lesser privileged children bythe Social Service League. Various sporting eventshad been organized for the students which elicitedenthusiastic participation from them.FACULTY NEWSDr. Geeta Shukla gave a presentation on “ExploringChemistry through Technology” at BTPC (BestTeaching Practices Conference) held at IndiaHabitat Centre. The Conference invites teachersto demonstrate and share innovative teachingpractices.The Scindia School staff won a cricket matchagainst Lions’ Club Gwalior. Mr. Anil Kataria andMr. Atul Bhatt were declared the best bowler andbest batsman respectively.INITIATIVESKeeping abreast with new technology, the earliersystem of smartcards for various transactions bythe students has been replaced by finger printidentification based biometric technology.With a view to improving the public speaking skillsof the students and also to instill in them a sense ofownership, the students have been vested with theresponsibility of conducting the Saturday Assembly.Each Saturday one house gets the opportunity toconduct the Assembly with one student presidingover it and others getting an opportunity to delivera talk or sharing their experiences. The studentshave been doing it with great success.The Code of Conduct book for students was releasedon Monday, 10 th November. This code for selfdiscipline was formulated after intense discussionsand deliberations with the students. It is aimed atcreating a harmonious community of learners andthinkers for whom excellence is a credo.The Scindia School Review came out in a newavatar from 1 st December. Many new sections havebeen added to it to provide more variety.As per the CBSE guidelines the school has set up aMathematics Lab which enables school studentsto learn and explore mathematical conceptsand verify mathematical facts and theoremsusing technological tools. The Lab was formallyinaugurated on the 27 th of December by HHMaharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia.AcademicsA mini winter study camp was organized in thecampus for class XII students, post Founder’s Dayperiod. Weaker students of class X were providedremedial coaching while class XII studentsunderwent the regular winter study camp duringthe first three weeks of December. The camp wasquite beneficial to the students and most of thosewho attended, seemed to have gained considerableamount of confidence. The School decided to deferthe half-yearly examinations for this group andinstead utilize the time for study preparation.The School continues to reform the examination,assessment and reporting system.ROUND SQUARE CONFERENCEThe International Round Square Conferencewas held at Vancouver in Canada from the 3 rdof October to the 8 th of October. Five students andtwo teachers, Mr. Jayant Tengshe and Mr. Atul Bhattattended the conference. The theme was ‘Local toGlobal’. All the members have come back with astrong resolve to ‘do their bit’ for the environmentalprotection of the Fort.The Junior Regional Round Square Conferencewas held at The Millenium School, Dubai fromthe 18 th of December to the 23 rd of December2008. It was attended by six students and Mr ManojMishra. The theme of the conference was ‘Coloursof Life’. There were keynote speakers and thoughtprovoking discussions during the conference. Thestudents have benefited by being a part of it.IPSCThe three day 69 th Indian Public SchoolsHeadmasters’ Conference was hosted by theSchool from the 27 th of December to the 29 th ofDecember. The conference was attended by thirtytwo headmasters from some of the leading publicschools. There were spirited discussions and thoughtprovoking addresses by noted educationists. Itwas an ideal platform to deliberate and discussstrategies to achieve the goal of excellence. It’s amatter of great pride and honour that PrincipalMr. N.K. Tewari has been elected chairman of theIPSC.CompetitionsThe students represented the School in variousinter school competitions and did us proud bytheir commendable performance. The boys alsoparticipated enthusiastically in the various interhouse and individual competitions conducted inthe School. The highlight of the quarter was theinter house athletic meet and the cross countryrace in which the students participated with greatzeal.Qila Quotes | Editorial | 5 Qila Quotes | Editorial | 6 VOL 2 | January 2009

StudentAchievementsPiyush Mittal of class IXD was a member of theNational Under-16 Cricket Team, which stood 3rdin the 54 th National School Games held at Gujarat.He was awarded a medal and a cash prize of Rs.1000.The IPSC Cultural Fest was held at Vidya DeviJindal School, Hisar. The School bagged the 3rdposition in the ‘Western Symphony’ category.Certificates and mementoes were awarded tothe boys - Vinshul Jain, Satyam Jain, SwarnSadana and Kushagra Gupta.Ishan Pachauri won the 3 rd position in the FancyDress competition. He was awarded a certificateand a memento.The School participated in the 2 nd IPSC BandCompetition held at Ghorakhal and bagged the 1 stposition. Dev Khanna received an award for thebest Band Captain. Rishabh Jain was adjudgedthe best musician and was gifted a flute. Mr.Ramesh Sharma (Band Instructor) and DalBahadur Thapa (assistant) were awarded amemento each.The Art of Living ‘Vyakti Vikas Kendra, India’organized a symphony of 1000 sitarists for the Biharflood relief at Noida. Nimish Arora, Utkarsh Joshi,Mohit Agarwal, Manobal Singh, AnanddevBanerjee, Kanishka, Neelav Agarwal, JayjeetBaruah and Vaishnavi Jawale represented theSchool in this event. They have been awardedparticipation certificates and a cash prize of Rs.1000 each.Mayank Kasera participated in the Best TeachingPractices Conference held at India Habitat Centre,New Delhi. He read out his essay ‘How would youlike to be taught by your teacher?’ and made apower point presentation on the same.Angraaj Palchaudhuri was selected for the IPSCfootball team (under-19). He participated in theSchool National Games held at Port Blair.Kartikeya Bhargava and Anirudh Todi tookpart in the IPSC English Debate Competition heldat Heritage School, Pathankot. The School stood3rdThe Scindia School Squash Team comprisingBharat Rao, Arjun Saraswat and Abhay Dadooparticipated in the IPSC Squash Championshipwhich was held at Sainik School, Tilaiya. Theywere declared runners up of the championship.Qila Quotes | Student Achievements | 7Qila Quotes | Student Achievements | 8

AnimadversionsOld Boys’ NewsA Blood Donation Camp was held on September 28th at Nagpur. The camp organized by SOBANagpur had 32 donors which included Scindians and others. All the donors received Certificates ofAppreciation signed by H.H. Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia, apart from the regular Donor cards issued bythe Blood Bank. H.H. Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia has now made it an annual international Scindianinitiative, in memory of Late HH Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia, whom we have all loved and adored forhis humanitarian qualities and love for the School and all Scindians.Harsh Raj (Ex Sh, Batch of 2001) has joined a company called Louis Dreyfus which is the world’sbiggest company into commodities trading. He is presently located in New Delhi as a Grains Trader andwould love to be of assistance to any fellow Scindian. Contact: harshrajsingh_2000@yahoo.comThe Madhav Award which is presented every year to an old boy of eminence was given to Lt.General SPS Dhillon(ex Ravindra Batch of 1965), on the occasion of the 111th Founder’s Day of theschool.Lt. General SPS Dhillon and Mrs Deepak Dhillon attended the coronation of the son of, His Majesty KingJigme Singye Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan. The Bhutan Government acknowledged the presence of theGeneral and his wife by issuing three commemorative stamps of Ngultrum 5, Ngultrum 10 and Ngultrum15. The Ngultrum is pegged to the India rupee.The new executive committee of SOBA was formulated on 21st OctoberLIST OF EXECUTIVE MEMBERS (W.e f. 21st October, 2008)Name Designation AddressLt. Gen S.P.S. Dhillion President New DelhiMr. Vikram Mathur Vice President New DelhiMr. Gopal Bhargava Vice President KanpurMr. K. M Agarwal Treasurer New DelhiMr Prashant Gangwal Secretary GwaliorMr Sandeep Agrawal Jt. Secretary NagpurThe problem about writingfor one’s old school ragis that one has to mindone’s P’s and Q’s. Notonly that but one has tomarshal one’s thoughts tothen begin an outpouringof smarmy nostalgia andfaux optimism so that thefuture of the country mightread and be inspired togreater acts of heroism andemulative actions.of a RebelAlas though, for all that to happen, it is necessary for the writer to have been a luminary on the firmamentof the school... not a blot on its escutcheon. And a blot I was. Never had parents sent an offspring to schoolwith greater hope and never has a young sprout so disappointed his progenitors. So it has been with me.There were never any great things said about me in hushed whispers in the staff room when examinationscripts were being corrected. Indeed the only noises that were heard when my script was being correctedwere snorts of disbelief and hoots of unholy merriment. I was a disappointment to my teachers too.Nothing they could give me would I take delivery of. No wisdom they tried to infuse into my obdurate headwould ever find a means of entry. Once, just once, there was a nugget of knowledge that made its way pastthe defences only to be defeated by a strong and thick wall of igneous immovability. Mr. Mukherji, who didsucceed that far retired, sobbing into his corner, pale and strangely chastened by the experience.It is probably for that reason that I was requested by the then Chairman of the Board to make an attemptto lower the standards of the school further. It took me three years, and I did succeed. English as alanguage of expression all but disappeared from the Fort. History too vanished into the mists of time. Ageneration of Scindians emerged crippled, beaten and scathed from the experience of being mentoredby me. While congratulating myself and praising the astuteness of the Principal, I was denied entry atthe railway station and the hounds were set on me whenever I disembarked at the station en route fromsomewhere to anywhere via Gwalior. All because the Chairman had some influence with the Railways.I, however, proved to be much craftier than they. I plotted and planned and undid their machinationsby secretly gaining admission for my own offspring in the School, to act like a fifth columnist and worktowards the eventual slide of Scindia from the heights of Khamba Taal to the floor of the Urwai. Alas, theplan did not work as the insidious ethos of the place permeated his soul and the school proceeded to growfrom strength to strength in exponential leaps and bounds, leaving me a shattered and decrepit relic andadded to the number of those that could not take the Fort by fair means or foul.Abhimanyu Acharya PhD.(Ex Ja, Batch of 1969)Lead AssociateAA AssociatesManash Talukdar (Ex Sh, Batch of 2008) had sent his painting for The Open International Drawingand Painting Competition for Children and Youth “Sport In Imagination-Beijing 2008”. He has beenawarded a diploma for the Grand Prix in the over 15 year old category.Qila Quotes | Old Boys News | 9Qila Quotes | Alumni Section | 10 VOL 2 | February 2009

Dusk & Dawnat AstachalI was always apprehensive of Astachal. An armyof young boys clad in the colour of peace, quietlysitting and viewing the horizon as it got engulfedby darkness. Often Astachal had speakers whospoke on different aspects of life and conduct. Theplacid notes of music that played in this celestialtheatre touched deeper chords of the body, mindand soul. The setting sun retreating into the distanthillocks and the deafening silence drowned all thenoises, triumphs, defeats, happiness and setbacksof the day.Silence can often become insurmountable, hardhittingand troubling as it tends to ask questions.Silence usually unnerves people as it makes oneencounter queries about path, directions, and aimsof life. Silence audits the self and churns the soul.It is endless, bottomless and all encompassing.Every evening we Scindians followed this customof introspection; with the aim to bring out andunderstand what was ignored, lost and buried inthe activities of the day.During my early days in the school as a child atAstachal, I would remember the warm embrace ofmy mother, the protective cover of my father, theplayful faces of my siblings and the same wouldvery often make my eyes go wet. In the privacy ofdusk, silence and stillness provided by Astachal,my sobs and tears would go unnoticed. As I grewand became worldly-wise; I could imagine in thesky, gods and goddesses on the chariot driven bythe sun and I offered my prayers to them. I prayedfor divine support before each exam, before eachdebate and before each elocution. I thanked themfor winning a match, scoring well in exams andbeing applauded in dramatics. Astachal was myrefuge where I often shared my grief with theAlmighty when I failed or when I erred.As I became senior and competitions of life staredme in the face, the silence of Astachal providedmuch sought after relief, peace and solace. Laterthe pressure of board exams and the thought oflosing the insulation provided by the alma materwas unbearable. Each time I failed to strike I foundmyself angry at Astachal. Each day, I grew moreanguished, tormented and restless.I was always intrigued by the show of obeisance toa setting sun. Why should a setting sun be reveredwhen the whole world is chasing rising stars? Arewe losers, accepting defeat by praying to this pale,dying, celestial body? Are we moving from actionto surrender, from victory to defeat from success tofailure and from light to darkness?Soon after passing out we found ourselves as logsof woods pushed in a stream to start the journeysof our lives. Each of us gradually drifted towardsour destination after experiencing our share ofrapids. Some of us moved towards our homesto assist, support and strengthen our parents’endeavours and provided vigour and vitality to thefamily enterprises. Life took some of us to pathsless traveled. We became actors, administrators,authors, artists, soldiers, statesmen and publicrepresentatives. A few went all the way down to themouth of the stream and took a long voyage inthe sea to make a home away from home. Onlysome stood steadfast not dropping their anchors,adventuring, still on move, searching for a niche inthe dark deep fathomless waters of life.Mid-life brings with it a little wisdom arising outof experience and time. The child is now seenmore as the father of man. A dark, dying, helplesssun, starts radiating once again on the other sideof the horizon. The dots bind together to becomelines and lines curve to become a circle. Thecyclic nature of entities and their trajectories getsapparent and paramount. The beginning and theend start merging and become one and the same.Coming back to Astachal after twenty five longyears along with my batch mates was like reversingthe clock. The nostalgia of the experience wasenormous. I could visualise young Subodh, Salman,Sandeep, Donald, Vinayak, Jaideep, Anurag, Dev,Gurmeet and others exploring beyond the limits ofhorizons. We shaped and weaved a bigger dreameach day we sat here. I could also vividly see manyof us playing a directionless game of snakes andladders with our destinies.The past gave birth to present and we were againhere looking at the setting sun, the red statue of theMahatma, the myriad colours of the sky, the hillsand beyond. Silence was hitting with all its forceand glimpses of past started flitting in front of theeyes. As it was a trance where the forgotten desiresand dreams of one’s life, once again become alive.I felt myself fluttering my wings yet again, andattempting to reach the sun and stand betweenhim and the darkness of the night. Someone wassinging ‘Ruk Jana Nahi tu kahi har ke…O rahi,O rahi’. I was once again on the path of achievingthe unaccomplished. Silence was persuading mysoul to rise and move with the sun to a nascentmorning. “Eureka”, I said to myself and slowlyopened my eyes. It was time to awaken and greetthe new Dawn.Atulya MisraIAS(Ex Mj, Batch of 1983)ExpressionsUnlimited…Years have rolled by and every time I sit down tothink about my life a strange feeling grips me. Thesubtle nuances of this majestic place, the Scindiancanvas with its intangible and impossible imagesfills my mind.The overgrown ruins of the Gwalior Fort; the lushgreenery all around; the breaking of the monsoonon this hot rocky soil; the call of the migratorybirds above the sprawling hillock; the brilliantblue of the ‘queen of the birds’ (peacock!) againstthe sun bleached ramparts of the Fort; the murmurand the chirruping of the lesser known birds; thechanting by the Sikhs at the Shabad kirtan in theGurudwara and the early morning march of theyoung beaming Scindians into the Academic blockto begin their day and then out into the open airfor the morning Assembly in the cool breeze underthe azure sky mesmerizes one, beyond what can beexplained through words!I have captured Scindia in the frame of my mind inall possible bits and pieces. Sometimes even morefits in than what the naked eye could see and hold!Each panoramic view, part by part, scrupulouslymaintains its perspective and then all of theseimages put together create a never before seen vistaof the magnificent and monumental Fort.Every morning when I go out for my walk it bringsback some rare, exotic and timeless momentswhich shall live for ever. This place consumes mein a way I could never have imagined. I have fallenrapturously in love with this place. The Fort isstimulating and challenging!One lifetime is inadequate; it will take manylifetimes for the Fort to reveal itself in its full gloryand splendour. None can fully understand thismystical place nor can one completely realize thesublimity and richness of the Scindian soil withits varied and subtle fragrances which lingers on…The sun baked earth when enlivened by thecrystal drops of the much sought after rain onthe Fort is irresistible. The pleasing smell whichenvelops the air and creates an ambience is all butunforgettable.This unique place is an enigma to me. I have notbeen able to fully understand it. It is more like theproverbial Sphinx with all its secrets cloisteredwithin it.Expressions Unlimited…is not just my story butevery Scindians story, wrapped up in crisp layers.When I search within my own soul for a place ofeternity, I find serenity existing in abundance. Inthe personal journey of my life this has been asojourn where I have unraveled the myriad aspectsof this place as they have presented themselves tome.As I pen down my thoughts, quite unplugged, mymind swings back and forth between the timeframe of the eighties when I joined the School tothe present. As I slip down my memory lane I feelfascinated and enchanted with both the unexpecteddiscoveries and the unexplained happenings.One of the reasons why Scindia and the Forthave kept me on my toes and high in spirits isthe richness of the inspiration one gets from thisplace. It’s a true comfort zone for a person like mewhose life and style is so intricately embedded inthis royal place.It’s a haven for a person to be in. An ideal placewhere one can be reposeful as the years glide by.The yesteryears leave behind a treasure house forthe years to come. This place has much to offerus all. Nostalgia looms large. Years have come andyears have gone but the golden moments spenthere on the Fort shall live for ever.Mr. Sanjeevan BoseHOD (Faculty of English and Foreign Languages)Qila Quotes | Alumni Section | 11Qila Quotes | Staff & Parents | 12

Interview ofLt General SPS DhillonEx Ravindra Batch of 1965 with Sahil Choudhary.What is the onething that youdid but were notcaught?Actually I used to be caughtat everything I tried. TwiceI was caught running downthe Fort, thrice for keepingmoney, tuck, magazines,Gurudwara visits, sleepingin the class, abusing, stealingfood from mess... I was aprofessional chargesheeter.(Shantanu Bhargava - Mj ’99)ReminiscencesI remember once I was quite annoyed with my Sneaked to the house-roof to light twigs and makehouse master Mr. Agnihotri. So one night while he "illegal" tea - and filtered it through my banyaan.was inspecting during lights out period I threw a (It tasted awful!)bucket of water on him. Even with all his threats (Ameen Sayani - Ja ’49)he never found out that it was me.(Samar Shah - Ja ’61)In class X I drove the red and white Mazda schoolbus on a school photography trip to Orcha andDatiya. Mr. A. K. Sharma had not accompaniedus on that particular afternoon so I was able toconvince the school driver to let me have a go!!(Avinash - Md ’97)Once I spread some powder on the school deskswhich got everybody in the class itching but Iescaped getting caught.(Rajendra Patil - Vk/Dl ’66)Killing the dhobi's chicken and cooking it in thehouse dormitory on a heater and having a feasttogether with four others.(Ajay Kichlu - Sh ’68)Fishing and having smoked fish on toast with myfriend Dushyant Singh Damhi at the KhumbaTaal. (Saumitro Sen - Ja ’76)We ran from the house down the Fort and attendeda marriage party of an unknown person, had foodand came back. So it was like "Begani Shadi MeinAbdullah Deewana". The others present with mewere Rajput and Khatri.(Amit Agrawal - Dl ’93)Throughout classes VII and VIII during the examsI kept my answer sheets discreetly open for mydeskmate to copy / check answers. The deskmatewas my housemate and a good friend. We sharedthe same desk for two years and changed subjectsin class IX.(Rajendra Kumar Shrivastava - Md ’70)Poured a fistful of salt in the ‘Dal’ and passed itto the School Prefect whom we used to dislike!(Naseer Ahmed - Rn’86)Caught one of the dhobi's hens and had a galaroasted chicken dinner in the nahanis...usinggarden bucket and hanger as grill.(Rajeev Merkhedkar - Md ’94)Many a times we would climb the roof top andwatch the 2003 worldcup matches on our miniTV that we had bought from the mela... then webought a small chullha to cook parathas withchapatis stolen from the mess... and then we wouldstay awake all night and go to the Gurudwara inthe morning for a spiritual brainwash... and wedid this almost for a month... love those days!!(Abhishek Khetan - Dl ’O6)Pulled the chair of a fellow student as he was aboutto sit and he fell down. Though I was reprimandedfor it, when the time came for filling up the marksin the White Card, another student (Upadhaya)who looked like me got the punishment marks andI escaped with good marks.(Rajiv Bansal - Rn ’74)Didn’t have a bath for an entire month in winters.The temperature was sub zero and I was one of thelazy ones. By the time I would reach the tap the hotwater would be over.(Anurag Maroo - Rn ’89)Hid multiple ‘Sutli’ bombs within the premises ofMr. A. N. Dar (the then Principal). A chain reactionof blasts had Mr. Dar on his toes. It was so muchfun watching him run around.(Vikrant Singh - Sh ’95)Not playing games during Games time (I think,it was 5 PM - 6 PM those days), but eating fruitsgrown on Fort trees during that time.(Chandrasen Indulkar - Mj ’49)Forged the signatures of teachers and housemastersfor various but minor reasons.(Mayank Agarwal - Jp ’92)S.C.: Sir, how many years did youstudy in the Scindia School?S. P. S.: I joined the Scindia Schoolin 1961 and passed out in 1965.S.C.: You spent five years in theschool. Share with us some of thebeautiful moments you spent here.S.P.S : Actually instead of moments I’lltake school life as a capsule. It’s a bundleof memorable moments. It’s colourful andbright like Diwali. Just as Diwali is notsimply one cracker but many phuljaris,anaars, rockets together combine to give itthe sparkle. Similarly my life in school wasalso a beautiful package. It moulded mypersonality in such a way, that the way Irespond to situations, the decisions I take,my reactions in life, have all been shaped toa great extent by the time I had spent herein the school.S.C. : As a student you must haveplayed pranks and done lots ofnaughty things. Tell us some ofthose.S.P.S : (Laughs) Let’s start with the goodthings first. My favourite pastime wasspending time at the woodwork department.Stone carving and clay modeling alsofascinated me a lot. I was fairly good atsketching too. You could probably writea thesis on the pranks I played, but I’llmention just a couple of them.Maybe because of my artistic and goodhand, I could forge the signature of myhouse master, doctor or that of anybodyelse including that of the Principal. Eventoday I can copy the signature of Mr. K.CShukla. So anybody who wanted to issueextra notebooks or pencils would take a chitfrom me. If a person did not want to attendclasses, he would get a chit signed by meon behalf of the doctor and enjoy bed rest. Ienjoyed helping people in this way. Luckily Iwas never caught.Once I got some itching powder and put it on thetable of the English teacher. He was an Englishmanwith a pinkish complexion. He scratched himselftill he went red and kept wondering what nastything had bitten him.S.C : Sir do you think residential schools like oursequip the students with certain special skills?S.P.S : Definitely. There are some schoolswhich lay undue stress on academics which attimes encourages rote memorization. Howeverresidential schools like the Scindia School, focuson overall personality development. By virtue ofspending time together one learns camaraderie,dedication, truthfulness, time management, bettercommunication skills etc. In this age one requirestotal versatility and it is residential schools whichimpart it to the students.S.C : What inspired you to join the army?S.P.S : Firstly, I have an army background.Secondly, those days we were imbued by thespirit of patriotism. The memory of the 1962 warwas fresh and the feeling of nationhood was verystrong. Another very important motivating factorwas my housemaster Mr. Mukherjee. When I askedhim if I should join the army he said that I wasperfect for it. I was physically fit and had the spiritof adventure. So I opted for it.S.C : These days there are so many jobs whichare far more lucrative than a career in the ArmedForces. How do you think that the youth can bemotivated to join the army?S.P.S : It’s a misconception that money is everythingin the world. In these so called lucrative jobs peopleare so engrossed in creating wealth that they don’teven have the time to enjoy their wealth or theirfamilies. The Defence Forces provide perks whichcan’t really be weighed in monetary terms. If peopleview the entire package which includes housing,food, medical care, canteen facilities etc. they willunderstand and appreciate the attractiveness ofjoining the Army. No other career provides youwith a large, extended family or the quality of lifethat the Forces do. My wife and sister-in-law wereadamant on marrying into the Forces or not at all.S.C : Please Share with us some interesting andthrilling moments of your army life.S.P.S : The first few years were spent in playinggames, going for National level sports, athleticsand football. It was an amazing time. The thrill ofwinning gives one a high unlike any other.A very interesting incident happened soon after Ihad joined. There was a Lt. Sameer Chandavarkarwho had laid down his life in the 1971 operations.Since my name ‘Samer’ sounded so much like his,people thought that I had passed away. So whenthey saw me they actually wondered if they hadseen a ghost. It was really eerie to hear people say, ‘“Oh, you’re alive. We thought you were dead.”My experience in Jammu and Kashmir during thecounter insurgency operations was also challengingand thrilling. There have been times when I havebeen in the thick of action and have been fired atfrom very close range. It does shake you up.S.C : How does it feel to come to the school as aMadhav Awardee?S.P.S : It feels good, since so many of my friendshave come down for this. I think getting recognitionfrom your Alma Mater is something unparalleled. Ihave been awarded many times in my Army careerbut this is the most satisfying. Getting a Madhavaward is one of the greatest achievements for me.S.C: Thank you Sir.S.C – Sahil ChoudharyS.P.S – Lt General Samer Pal Singh DhillonQila Quotes | Message Board | 13Qila Quotes | Interview | 14 VOL 2 | February 2009

While leaving for India I wasreally emotional to part frommy new friends.I realized that though wewere institutionally andculturally different yet thecommon bond between uswas our commitment toparticipate in the IDEALS:International Understanding;Democracy; Environment;Adventure; Leadership; andService which symbolize theessence of RSC.Colours of Life“If you are in Scindia School don’t miss the opportunity of being a part of the Round Square Conference.”This was something I had heard very often from my seniors so when I got selected for the Round SquareConference which was to be held at the Millenium School, Dubai my joy knew no bounds. I was excited atthe prospect of meeting students from different schools and countries and knew that I was really fortunateto be a part of a great learning experience.Finally the much awaited day arrived and after a 4 hour flight we landed at Dubai. The fun and activitiesstarted from the first day itself. The schedule for each day had been put up on the notice board to avoidambiguity and to ensure the smooth functioning of the Conference. Everything was planned and executedwith great precision. Each of us was allotted a different room where we stayed with students from otherschools. This was really wonderful as it forged strong bonds of friendship among us.The theme of the conference was ‘Colours of Life’. We were told how life unfolds before us in various colours.Each of these colours gives our life a unique charm and appeal. We should embrace each experiencewhether good or bad with open arms because it adds to our personality making it more wholesome. Onlyif we handle moments of distress and struggle with grace can we surmount our problems and move aheadin life.Ms. Ana-al-Busaidy one of the key note speakers and the first lady T.V. news anchor of Dubai spoke aboutthe problems faced by Arabic women in the conservative society of Dubai. She shared with us how she hadto face parental and societal opposition as a budding reporter. However she braved it and kept perseveringand was now a successful professional. Her talk was really inspiring and gave us the message that oneshould never give up.The second keynote speaker Mr Brain Wilkey who is a social activist spoke about the philanthropic workthat he has done in various places. He has set up a hospital, built houses for poor children and is alsospreading awareness about social issues. It was really a humbling experience to hear from somebodylike Mr. Wilkey who has done so much for fellow beings. During the ‘baraza’ or the group discussion wediscussed all that had been said by the keynote speakers. We also expressed our views on how we couldmake a difference in our own little way.On the day of the art and craft activity we made a painting on the theme ‘Colours of Life’. During thecultural programme we put up a skit and a powerpoint presentation which was adjudged the best.Apart from all the work we also had great fun. We went for outings like desert safari and dolphinarium.Dubai is a beautiful and well planned city. The civic sense of the people there is worth emulating.The six days passed like a beautiful dream. On the last day we had the tie exchanging tradition wherewe exchanged our school tie with the ties of students from other schools. While leaving for India Iwas really emotional to part from my new friends. I realized that though we were institutionally andculturally different yet the common bond between us was our commitment to participate in the IDEALS:International Understanding; Democracy; Environment; Adventure; Leadership; and Service whichsymbolize the essence of RSC. I am really thankful to the School and my parents for sending me to thisconference. I think I’ve come back with a better understanding of life and can now appreciate all of itsvarious colours.Arvind SingupuramVIII BQila Quotes | Literary Section |15Round Square ’08Local to GlobalEver since I joined The Scindia School I had heard a lot about the Round Square Conference from my seniors. They alwaysspoke about the wonderful experience and exposure it gave them. I dreamt of being a part of it some year and luckilythis year I got my chance when I was selected for the International Round Square Conference which was to be held atCollingwood School, Vancouver BC, Canada.I got to know of my selection two months in advance and ever since that day my exhilaration knew no bounds. I could hardlywait and finally the much awaited day arrived when I found myself boarding the plane for the18hour flight to Vancouver.The flight itself was quite memorable as we flew over the entire Pacific Ocean. The Vice-Principal Mr. Jayant Tengshe, Mr.Atul Bhatt and four other students had accompanied me to the conference.We arrived at Collingwood School where we met our host parents or ‘billets’ as they were called. It was wonderful stayingwith a family which till a few days back one didn’t even know existed on the face of the Earth. The family I stayed with wasvery hospitable and ensured that I had a comfortable stay.The conference with delegates from 72 schools from different parts of the world was simply wonderful. It gave all of usthe opportunity to learn, to share and to celebrate the IDEALS: Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure,Leadership and Service. These represent the six pillars around which Round Square schools function.Our daily routine included going to school everyday and coming back in the night. There were plenty of activities plannedfor each of us. All this was very educative and also great fun. The theme of the conference was “Creating SustainableCommunities/Local to Global”. There were talks by keynote speakers, meetings and group discussions which centered onthe theme. Everyone was reminded that for long we have taken many things on and about Earth for granted and that thereis an urgent and dire need to change! It was quite frightening to know that many worst case scenarios have already beensurpassed and clear and destructive manifestations of the climatic changes have already begun to occur all across the globe.We were also told about the various problems humans are facing in the world today. Now I know that every year 18 millionUSD is used for buying perfumes in Europe while it can be used more productively by providing literacy to the whole ofAfrica. These facts are horrifying but no one cares much about them. However, the RSC did enlighten and sensitize us tothe needs of the underprivileged. The baraza meetings were animated discussions in a mixed group of students, teachers,headmasters and board of governors. Interacting with students from different social and language backgrounds enabled usto understand their point of view.The host school ensured that we also get acquainted with the country, the culture and the environment of the place.Vancouver is also known as the ‘Glass City’ as it has a large number of high-rise buildings with all glass exteriors. We weretaken for sight seeing to many places like the world famous Stanley Park, Grouse Mountains and more.After being a part of all these events I understood that Round Square which is a worldwide association of over seventymember schools aims to develop every student into a whole person through academic, physical and cultural experiences.The best thing I liked about the conference was that we got to make ‘global’ friends i.e. friends from all over the world. I amin touch with them through Facebook and will remember some of them my whole life through.I’ve brought back with me new and innovative ideas on how to make school and community environmentally aware.I thank the school and my parents for enabling me to be a part of such an incredible experience.Aakash SuranaIX DQila Quotes | Literary Section |16 VOL 2 | February 2009

Fort FablesPadmasarovarOur favourite swimming pool, Padmasarovar, was inaugrated by the Maharaja of Dholpur andwas named after Maharaja Jiwaji Rao’s eldest daughter, Padmaraje. The pool was, hence, madeoperational in November, 1944. Do you know how the early Scindia school boys used to learnswimming and enjoy themselves in water?Prior to the opening of the pool, the Scindia school boys used to go for a swim to the Rani Taal,a kund used for water harvesting. However, due to the uncontrolled and relatively unhygienicconditions at the taal, it was not considered to be the best option for swimming. Nature also proveda spoilsport at times as inclement weather like rain, lightning and thunder often dashed the hopesof the students.On the occasion of the annual sports, drama and musical social gathering of the School inNovember 1940, Maharaja Jiwaji Rao announced a gift of Rs. 25,000/- to build a swimming pool. Itwas expected to play an important part in the development of water sports. After the announcementof the construction of the pool, the students eagerly awaited its opening and the time when theycould make adequate use of the facility. As per the April issue of the 1942 Review, the originalplan itself specified that there should be green tiles on the floor of the pool, a good diving board,changing rooms and everything else that a first class swimming pool should have.The Padmasarovar has hosted numerous swimming competitions and also produced greatswimmers and diving champions who have romped home with many trophies for the school. Oneof the most keenly contested sports trophies in the school is the Murad Ali trophy for swimming.It was instituted in memory of an avid swimmer, Murad Ali (Ja ’41). He is said to be a swimmingfanatic who, even in the delirium of fever, used to talk about swimming in the Rani Taal!The Padmasarovar has also been the venue of many midnight swimming parties. Quite a few oldboys recount with great glee their escapades in the pool. Shravan Lakhotia (Rn ’80) recalls how in1977 their entire batch went swimming in the big pool after the night roll call and still managedto escape being caught. In a similar vein, John Singh (Sh ’55) says that the most daring thing thathe did while in school was to jump from the top of the diving board into a full swimming pool atnight. With a mix of pride and nostalgia he reminisces that none of the Jayajians dared to do it butwatched him just the same and kept the secret. Even after so many years John refuses to divulge thenames of the two other boys who were with him on that full moon night!The achievements of the budding swimmers and such interesting anecdotes vest the Padmasarovarwith a special aura. However it is sincerely hoped that such stories will not germinate new ideas inthe minds of the young budding swimmers of the current classes!The Scindia SchoolThe Fort, Gwalior - 474008.MP, INDIA.Telephone : +91-751-2480750Fax : +91-751-2480650E-mail : office@scindia.eduWebsite : www.scindia.edu