Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram conducted the Scholar Badge Ceremony for Class VIII on 12 October 2018. The Scholar Badge Ceremony serves to bestow prestigious accolades upon assiduous students for their commendable scholastic and extracurricular achievements as well as to inspire other students to reach for the stars.
The theme for the event was, “If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?.”
The day commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp. The Chief Guest, Dr. Pooja Joshi, District Magistrate of New Delhi, was then felicitated by the Principal, Ms. Vanita Sehgal, with a token of appreciation.
An alumna of Our Lady Queen of the Missions Convent and Sacred Heart Convent, Dr. Joshi further went on to complete her doctorate in Political Science and Government at the University of Rajasthan. She is also the General Manager of Delhi Tourism and DTDC Ltd. She was the Special Secretary cum Commissioner of Industry for the Government of Delhi. She pioneered the implementation and facilitation of a single window system to allow the industry to get clearance at a single desk.
The ceremony started with a symphony of dulcet voices serenading those gathered with a melodious rendition of the song, Atithi Devo Bhava as well as a fusion performance by the school orchestra which elicited a huge round of applause from the audience.
This was followed by the screening of a short film highlighting the achievements of the school.
The Principal, Ms. Vanita Sehgal, in her welcome address greeted the Chief Guest and the parents who graced the school with their presence. She recounted her first meeting with the Chief Guest, praising her multitasking abilities, dynamic personality, and called her the epitome of woman empowerment.She emphasized the fruit of labor and said that when success comes from our own hard work, it is much sweeter. She proceeded to share an anecdote about her college days, where her parents’ friend’s daughter had obtained a job easily due to influential connections. However, when she asked her father for a job, he refused and persuaded her to stand up on her two feet and achieve success independently. Quoting Albert Einstein, “I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself”, she accentuated on the significance of allowing children to grow and become ‘doers’.
She narrated an incident from her driving school days, where even though she was the one behind the wheel, the instructor controlled everything. Eventually, once she drove the car all alone, she was confused as to what to do. She asked the parents to allow the children to be ‘doers’ and not become dependant on their parents for every step they take. Continuing her enlightening address, she spoke about time being precious and priceless. She said that time is free but it cannot be bought or sold; we can do anything and everything but we cannot turn back the clock. Summing up, she said that, ”Respect is to be earned, honesty is to be appreciated, trust is to be gained and loyalty is to be returned.’ Towards the end, she praised the young scholars and offered them three choices: “Give in, give up or give it all that you have.”
The students took to the stage to illustrate the theme “If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?” through the cultural programme which followed. A network of melodious voices started the programme by using the transcendent medium of music to inspire the audience to be courageous in the face of adversity through songs like ‘Ekla Cholo Re’ and a self-composed song by Mr. Suman titled ‘Jeetunga Zamana, Khudse Hai Yeh Vada’
The skit opened with a presentation on the evolution of man and the need to preserve one’s self-confidence. The dance which followed emphasized the importance of retaining one’s individuality as well as embracing others for who they are. A satirical take on the modern family succeeded the dance, affirming the importance of moral education in contemporary society, taking responsibility of the society, not abandoning values in the pursuit of success as well as changing the world by changing oneself.
Dancers clad in pink and black struck a chord amongst the audience as they glided along to the scintillating beats of ‘Do Something’ by Matthew West.
In her address, the Chief Guest, Dr. Pooja Joshi, applauded the perseverance of the bright and ardent stage performers as well as the organizers. She spoke about how a student, as well as a parent, learn about the holistic development that takes place in this school. She enunciated that schooling is more important than graduation or post graduation, as schools take a more holistic approach to an individual’s learning. She commended DPS. R.K Puram by narrating an anecdote, of when she went to South-East Asia to attend a meeting and was introduced to clients who were alumni of this school and it was a moment of pride for her as her son himself is an alumna of this school. Elaborating on the theme of the day, she insisted that every literate person take initiative to make this country better. Expressing her gratitude to the teachers, she concluded her speech by saying, “If we lose humanity, we will lose everything”.
The Award Distribution ceremony was conducted by the Chief Guest, the Principal, and the Headmistress who presented badges, blazers, and certificates to the students.
The Vote of Thanks was delivered by the Headmistress, Ms. Rashmi Malhotra, who thanked the Principal, Class Representatives, Ms. Reema Khosla and Ms. Surbhi Gupta, the Teacher in charge, Ms. Sudeepta Chatterjee, and all those who had been involved in the success of the ceremony.
The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem.
