Celebrating 150 Years Of Mahatma Gandhi

“By education I mean an all-round drawing of the best in child and man in mind body and spirit.” – Mahatma Gandhi

On the 2nd of October, 2019, D.P.S R.K. Puram hosted a variety of cultural performances and competitions to “Commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi”. 

The event began with the unveiling of the relief painting of Mahatma Gandhi by the Principal, Vice Principals, Headmistresses and School appointments. As part of the “Swachh Bharat Mission”, a cleanliness drive was undertaken by the teachers and students. This initiative was a step further to achieve Mahatma’s vision of hygiene and health.This was followed by tree plantation outside the school premises.The SDMC schools from Sector 4 and Sector 5 of R K Puram were invited to be a part of this celebration.

The Cultural Programme commenced with a melodious rendition by students of “We Shall Overcome” and its Hindi version “Hum Honge Kamyab”. Their harmonious voices in sync created a vibrant atmosphere. 

Ms. Vanita Sehgal, Principal, D.P.S. R.K. Puram, was  invited on stage to address the gathering. She urged the students to adopt the Gandhian principles of peace and non-violence in their everyday lives and follow them righteously. She highlighted the importance of truth and motivated the students, juniors and seniors alike, to “speak the truth everyday”. On this occasion, her emphasis was on the need to enliven the spirit of Gandhi. The Principal appreciated the presence of the students of D.P.S East of Kailash and D.P.S. Vasant Vihar, remarking that “these are the days to be celebrated and celebrated together”. She wished those present the best of luck for the day’s competitions.  

The Principal along with the Vice Principal, Ms. Padma Srinivasan released the 2019-20 edition of the History Magazine, ‘Bapu@150’.  

The students of D.P.S. East of Kailash, D.P.S. Vasant Vihar and D.P.S. R.K. Puram performed splendid dance sequences  to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. The children showcased their talent and zeal by their breathtaking choreography. The gathering was electrified through their invigorating presentation,. 

On 1st October 2019, a team comprising of 46 students of class X AND XI from D.P.S. R.K. Puram performed a play titled ‘Bapu Yahan Hai’ at the Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath Road.The Principal, Ms. Vanita Sehgal  appreciated the diligent efforts of students and teachers who made the play a “phenomenal success”. She welcomed the budding actors to enact their heart-warming drama. The play centered around the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and their relevance in contemporary times. The staging aroused the spirit of patriotism  amongst the children as they applauded enthusiastically. 

The Vice Principals and Headmistresses, praised the efforts of the students and encouraged them to inculcate the teachings of Gandhi in order to truly pay respect to him. 

The Cultural Programme concluded with the National Anthem. 

The several departments of the school organised interactive events that sought to teach values and ideals of Mahatma. Events like Turncoat Debate, Slam Poetry, Code Breaker, Science Quiz, Business Plan, Sell Your Wares,  ‘कविता पाठ’, Khadi In Style were conducted and students actively participated in them. The children were felicitated with medals and certificates. 

The English Department organized ‘Slam Poetry’ and a ‘Turncoat Debate’ for students of all classes. The event saw many budding poets and debaters discuss and deliberate Gandhian Principles such as Non-Violence, Truth, Peace, Freedom and Service. 

The Hindi Department organised ‘नाटक’ for class VI, ‘कविता पाठ’ for classes VII-X and ‘आमना-सामना’ for Classes XI-XII. The events displayed a mesmerizing display of patriotic sentiments of our freedom fighters and national leaders. 

The Mathematics Department conducted an interesting set of events: ‘Tangrams- Geometrical Shapes’ for Classes VI and VII, ‘Stamp/ File Cover’ for Class VIII and ‘Code Breaker’ Quizzes for classes IX-XII which depicted the Mahatma’s life and messages using mathematical logic. 

The Science Department organized Quizzes and Paper Presentations that illustrated Gandhiji’s views on topics like Food Habits and Swachhta. 

A ‘Business Plan’ event was organized by the Commerce Department. The event witnessed many innovative business ideas based on the theme of ‘Make In India’- Swadeshi Movement. 

The Economics Department held a ‘Sell Your Wares’ contest wherein the students of all classes designed products that could be manufactured easily by domestic industries using village products. 

Competition on ‘एकल देश भक्ति गायन’ was conducted by the Sanskrit Department in addition to ‘सूक्ति लेखन’ on a T-Shirt for classes VI-VIII and Classes IX-XII respectively. 

The Social Science Department organized competitions such as ‘Folder Designing’ which aimed to showcase Gandhi ji’s life and ‘Khadi in Style’ with an aim to popularise cottage industries.

The Art Department organised a ‘Painting Competition’. The students displayed their artworks on the topics-‘Gandhi ji’s life inspires me to…..’ and ‘Swachhta…a guarantee of good health’. The Library Department organised ‘Bookmark and Book Jacket designing’ competitions to give students a platform to display their creativity.

In Create out of waste, a product using recyclable material was made and displayed for judgement.

The Music Department gave students an opportunity to create magic with the beating of tablas, rhythm of guitars, flutes and their melodious voices on the theme-‘What Gandhi means to me’

The Dance Department organised a competition of various dance forms ranging from classical to semi- classical to folk and contemporary. Each performance displayed a vibrant array of colour and talent.

A workshop on Solar Light Kit Assembly was conducted by the Science Department to make students aware about its importance.

The Computer Science Department organised Digital Poster Making competition.

The students participated in the plethora of events with zest and zeal, with each of them rousing a spirit of nationalism as the school celebrated the Father of the Nation.

Keeping in mind GandhiJi’s emphasis on good health ,Athletics and Swimming Competitions were organised by the Sports Department.