“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”

― Bertolt Brecht

Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram hosted the Inter-School Art, Dance and Music Festival, Abhivyakti, on Saturday, 13 July 2024. The event was themed ‘Abhivyakti’, a Hindi phrase meaning ‘Expression’. The aim of this cultural extravaganza was to give the students a wide platform where they could freely express their creativity through music, dance and art. It was a way to explore their creativity beyond the four walls of the classroom.

The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from 20 schools from across North India in various competitions ranging from artistic endeavours such as mask paintings to musical and dance showcases, imbibing the spirit of artistic expression. It offered a platform for students to showcase their talent and zest for creativity.

‘Abhivyakti’ comprised six diverse events – The True Patriots, I Feel – Mask Painting, Craft Hangings, Dance It Out, When Taal Meets Melody, and Tunes and Beats. 

‘The True Patriots’ was a canvas-painting competition centred around the essence of patriotism for students of classes IX-XII. The event saw beautiful and mesmerising paintings that highlighted the notion of patriotism in a diverse manner. The event was judged by Mr Pankaj Guru, a veteran artist who has a vast experience in the field of Metal Sculptures,Relief Murals and different forms of art. The criteria for the judgement was research, creative thinking, relevance, skill, execution and impact.

‘I Feel – Mask Painting’ provided participants from classes IX-XII with the chance to convey their feelings in creative expressions through mask paintings. The competition focussed upon painting masks that represented emotions like amusement, anger, confusion, disappointment, doubt, elation, pain and sadness. Mr Shashi Paul, a renowned freelance artist who has worked in diverse mediums judged the event on the basis of aesthetic appeal, relevance, skill and creative thinking.

‘Craft Hangings’ served as a platform for students of classes VI-VIII to weave depictions of Indian cultural heritage into a single piece of craft. The participants were judged on their creative ability by Ms Kuheli Paul, an expert in painting,wood , leather design and Ceramics and had been associated with nurturing creative young minds since years.

‘Dance It Out’ was a fusion freestyle dance event for students of Classes VIII-XII wherein participants emphasised upon the essence of women empowerment through passionate displays of Western and Indian dance forms. Ms Madhumita Raut, a globally recognised face of Odissi dance and recipient of the Bharatamuni Award, and Mr Rajat Bakshi, who was trained at Broadway Dance Centre, New York and has been associated with the Arttree Academy of Music and Performing Arts, were the judges for the event. The participants were judged based on their choreography, expression, rhythm and originality.

‘When Taal Meets Melody’ was a group song event where each team consisted of eight  participants and were allowed to use a maximum of 3 instruments. The teams sang a mix of cover and original songs. The performances were judged on creativity, originality, quality of composition, rhythm and intonation by Mr Livingstone Kashung, a Grade VIII Rock & Pop Musician and a Western Music Teacher at Shiv Nadar School, Noida, and Mr Manjeet Singh, Senior Faculty at Shri Ram Bhartiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi.

‘Tunes and Beats’ was an instrumental fusion orchestra event for classes VI-XII wherein participants had to perform with a minimum of 4 Western and 4 Indian instruments, apart from any other unique instrument. Each school was allowed to send 8-10 participants. The panel of judges consisted of Mr Andrew Kamei, a multi-instrumentalist and Western Music Teacher at Gems International School, Gurgaon, and Mr Ashwani Sudan, a distinguished composer, lyricist and bearer of the titles of Sangeet Praveen and Sangeet Bhaskar. Participants were judged  on intonation, synchronisation, rhythm and originality.

The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest, Ms Gaurie Dwivedi, the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan, the Vice Principal, Mr Naresh Miglani, and the Headmistress, Ms Rashmi Malhotra. The Abhivyakti valedictory ceremony began with an introduction to the various events under the purview of the fest. The Chief Guest, Ms. Gaurie Dwivedi, an alumnus of Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram, is a versatile and multi-faceted person, a classical dancer, a seasoned journalist, an author of international repute, a Senior Editor with The Economic Times and the Editorial Head for ET Grey Cell. She was felicitated by the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan with a plant as a token of regard. In her address, Ms Padma Srinivasan emphasised on the importance of such creative platforms in making our mechanical lives more meaningful. She said that Art is a multifaceted phenomenon, serving as a reflection of our innermost emotions and the world around us . Art transcends languages and cultures, and becomes an invaluable asset in fostering unity and peace. She also congratulated the participating schools and reiterated that the students who participate in such mega-events are all winners, as performing in front of such a large crowd can be considered an achievement in itself. The winning performances were showcased in the AVH to a rousing applause. The young performers enthralled the audience with powerful renditions, fuelled with fervour and talent.

The chief guest, Ms Gaurie Dwivedi, highlighted the importance of art as a means to pave the way for the future. She appreciated the efforts of all the participants, emphasising how they had enhanced their performances through their intricate expressions, having captured the essence of ‘Abhivyakti’. She also reminded students to seize the opportunities the stage provides, enjoying every step of the way. After much anticipation, the results of the fest were announced and the winners were called to the stage to be presented with various awards and accolades for their achievements. Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Greater Noida emerged as the overall winner.

The ceremony drew to a close with the Headmistress, Ms Rashmi Malhotra, proposing the vote of thanks. She thanked the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan, for her vision and for providing students with such opportunities so as to help in their all round development which will place them firmly on a global platform in the years to come. She thanked the Vice Principals, Mr Naresh Miglani, Mr Anil Kathuria, Mr Mukesh Kumar, and the Headmistress, Dr Anubha Gopal, for their unstinted support in making such events a huge success. She thanked all the teachers involved in any capacity for their sincere hard work and dedication, and the support staff for working tirelessly in helping make this event a success.

The ceremony concluded with the national anthem.

Overall Winner

Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Greater Noida

When Taal Meets Melody
First Position	Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Mayoor School, Noida
Second Position	Delhi Public School, Faridabad
Third Position	Birla Vidya Niketan

Tunes and Beats
First Position	Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Faridabad
Second Position	Delhi Public School, Greater Noida
Third Position	Mayoor School, Noida

Dance It Out
First Position	Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Greater Noida
Second Position	East Point School
Third Position	Rukmani Devi Public School, Pitampura

The True Patriots
First Position	Delhi Public School, Mathura Road
Second Position	Father Agnel School
Third Position	Birla Vidya Niketan

I Feel – Mask Painting
First Position	Gyan Bharti School
Second Position	Father Agnel School
Third Position	Tagore International School,Vasant Vihar

Craft Hangings – Indian Art
First Position	Rukmani Devi Public School, Pitampura
Second Position	St. George’s School
Third Position	Birla Vidya Niketan

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – Paulo Coelho

Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram hosted the Annual Scholar Badge Ceremony for the students of class XII on 8 July 2024. This highly anticipated day is an occasion to recognize the students who have excelled in academics and co-curricular activities during the previous academic year. The ceremony commenced with the lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest, Shri V. K. Shunglu, Chairman of the Managing Committee of Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram, the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan, the Vice Principals, Mr Anil Kathuria and Mr Mukesh Kumar, and the Headmistresses, Ms Rashmi Malhotra and Ms Anubha Gopal.

The event began on an auspicious note with the performance of a musical symphony. The audience was captivated by a melodious orchestra recital by the students of the Indian Music Society. The Chief Guest, Shri V. K. Shunglu was felicitated by the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan. The Principal addressed the gathering and began by extending a warm welcome to the Chief Guest and thanked him for taking time out from his busy schedule to grace the occasion. She added that the school has always been grateful to the Chairman for setting new goals and supporting the school towards achieving them. She encouraged the students to face the challenges in life with courage, determination and hardwork to meet their potential.

A movie featuring the school’s innumerable achievements and highlighting the students’ competitive spirit and hunger for excellence followed next. This gave way to a graceful rendition of a dance based on a story of the Rani Durgawati from Madhya Pradesh in  Rajasthani Kathputli style. As excitement filled the venue, the students of the Indian Choir enthralled the audience with a soulful rendition of ‘Pinjra’, a Western and folk fusion.

The Chief Guest motivated the students by emphasising the importance of the journey to success rather than the goal. He highlighted the significance of unity among the students and their mentors. His address was followed by the much awaited Award Ceremony conducted by the Class Representatives of class XII Ms Sarika Kaushal and Ms Richa Aggarwal as a hallmark of true academic brilliance, 210 gold medals and 77 green badges were awarded to the meritorious students and over 153 awards were bestowed upon those excelling in co-curricular activities like sports, music and dance. The stream toppers of Class XI were felicitated with the Dipanvita Baisya Memorial Award in recognition of their perseverance. The section toppers of class XI were conferred the Ishwar Chandra Memorial Award, presented to them by Mr. and Mrs. Surie. The toppers of Class XII in the CBSE Board Examinations 2024, Sannidhi Agarwal from Science, Nishnaat Aggarwal from Commerce and Simran Jain from Humanities, were also awarded with gold medals and books. Further, Nishant Aggarwal, CBSE Commerce School Topper also received the Unnati Iyer Memorial Award Trophy sent by Mr. Krishnamoorthy along with his good wishes.

The Vice Principal, Mr Anil Kathuria, proposed the vote of thanks. He thanked the Chief Guest, Shri V. K. Shunglu, for gracing the occasion, the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan, for her constant support and guidance, and the Class Representatives Ms Richa Aggarwal and Ms Sarika Kaushal, for their hard work and diligence.He also thanked the activity incharges,the Performing Arts department and Art department for the support offered .He thanked all the teachers working in any capacity for their efforts and the support staff for being there at all times He congratulated the students for their achievements and diligent efforts in accomplishing their goal. 

The ceremony concluded with the School Anthem and the National Anthem.

“The more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know.”  – Albert Einstein

The Quizzing Club of Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram hosted Infinitus Reus – an annual inter-school quizzing extravaganza designed to test the intellect of students from 32 schools across North India.  This club, founded in 1983, is the school’s oldest and one of its most prestigious clubs. The event, which was held on 6 July 2024, has become a prestigious platform for quizzers to test their awareness, hone their skills and learn through the experience. 

The event was sponsored by Athena – India’s largest premium education consulting firm for undergraduate study abroad. Additional support came from gifting partners such as Crossword: Art of Problem Solving, Interview Cake, Taskade, Rosenfeld, Balsamiq, Mr Makhana, Tax City, Oddy Stationery, Hapi Pola, along with domains from Gen.xyz.

The event featured two competitive quizzes: The Junior Quiz for Classes VI-VIII and the Senior Quiz for Classes IX-XII. The quizzes were designed to test a range of topics from music, entertainment and literature to arts and sports. Each quiz consisted of twenty questions in the preliminary round, with the top scorers advancing to the elimination round and ultimately the final one. 

The quizmasters for the preliminary rounds were Mr. Shubhaankar Gupta, former Head Boy, currently studying Economics and Computer Science at the University of Chicago, and Mr. Tanmay Arora, former Vice President of the Exun Clan. The quizmaster for the final round was Dr. Arindam Bhattacharya, who has conducted more than 500 quizzes over 17 years.

Six teams from the two categories qualified for the finals.The atmosphere at the venue was charged as each team vied for the trophy. The event reached its crescendo during the last round as teams faced increasingly challenging questions. The winners for the junior and senior categories respectively were Delhi Public School, Mathura Road and Delhi Public School, Greater Noida.

The valedictory ceremony commenced as Ms. Priyam Sharma and Ms. Sakshi Malik delivered the vote of thanks to the audience. Later, the winners for both the categories were announced, and they were felicitated onstage with trophies and certificates. The event concluded with the playing of the National Anthem. 

JUNIOR QUIZ
First Position	Delhi Public School, Mathura Road
Second Position	Vasant Valley School
Third Position	St. Columba’s School

SENIOR QUIZ
First Position	Delhi Public School, Greater Noida
Second Position	The Mother’s International School
Third Position	Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Kalyanpur