THE YEARBOOK 2010
Editorial
3
From The Headmaster
4
Activities
6
Social Service
34
Creative
44
Sports
50
Hindi
66
Staff
74
House Reports
90
Founder’s
106
Rose Bowl
116
Sc Leavers
124
The year 2010 was an extraordinary one
But if I had any illusions that 2010 would be
for an extraordinary school: the seventy-
smooth sailing, these were quickly dispelled
fifth anniversary of The Doon School. I
by the realities of preparing for the largest
shall remember it well for a number of
event the school has held in its entire history
reasons, not least the jubilee
– DS75. The plan was to have over 5,000
celebrations themselves, but also for the
boys, parents, Old Boys, friends of the
fact that this was my first full year here.
school and guests meeting at Chandbagh in
I had joined the school halfway through
late October. The challenge was immense,
2009, so I had only a partial glimpse of
not least because expectations for the event
the full cycle of The Doon School annual
were sky high, and because we were an
calendar. That was also a blighted
operational school with 500 boys still
glimpse because swine flu, the
needing teaching, living accommodation and
cancellation of Founder's Day and the
feeding on the run up to and during this
security scare dominated that first
great landmark in the school's history. Had
autumn term of mine and made it one of
we been a conference or convention centre
the more unusual, challenging and
things would have been simpler! One of the
interesting terms in the school's history
things that will stick in my mind is, besides
and in my own career as a teacher and
the question of what there would be to eat,
headmaster.
was how often I was asked at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and every other occasion under the sun, "Who will be the chief guest at DS75?" Everyone had an opinion as to who would be, and especially who would not be, a suitable chief guest for DS75. Boys' favourites ranged from sports icons to film stars, from Sachin Tendulkar to SRK, from President Obama to Bill Gates, from the oldest living Dosco to great captains of commerce and industry, from Amartya Sen to the President of China. The debate raged
From The Headmaster
on and on throughout the year. In the end, the list of guests who did attend was quite astonishing. I can think of no other school in the world that could have onstage together at one time the president of the world's largest democracy, a king, the nation's minister of education, its minister of roads and highways, the governor of the state and its chief minister.
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What also made 2010 extraordinary for me
When the great celebration eventually
Of course, the jubilee was not the only event of
was my journey around the world to meet the
came, it was experienced as a huge
the year. As the pages of this excellent
alumni chapters during the jubilee year. The
success by almost all those who attended.
yearbook attest, there were myriad other
Board of Governors asked me to do so to
Our greatest worry was getting 5,000
activities taking place, and, despite the huge
encourage old boys to attend DS75, and if
people on to the estate without long
time pressures, these not only continued but
they were unable to do so, to bring them up
delays, preventing a huge buildup of
flourished. It is a testimony to the boys' skills
to date on developments at the school and
vehicles around the school, feeding them,
and talents, and the dedication of the masters,
the the vision for its future. Although it was
seating them for the main events and
that so much went on to such a high standard
very difficult being away from school so
speeches, providing security for the
unabated despite the demands of DS75. By
much, I had the great pleasure of meeting Old
President and all our guests, and ensuring
2010, The Doon School, at seventy-five still
Boys in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Hong
that they enjoyed themselves and met
young institution by world and even Indian
Kong, Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Los
treasured friends and acquaintances. Of
standards, had made a disproportionate
Angeles, Washington, London, Singapore,
course, what we had not counted on was a
contribution to the history and life of this nation
Dubai, Bangalore and Kolkata. Their pride in
hurricane hitting the Main Field on the
and, indeed, the world. That larger contribution
being Doscos was tremendous and their
Friday night of the celebrations and
has been made up of myriad smaller
memories of their time at Chandbagh almost
pitching the jubilee into crisis. The gods
contributions by individual boys, masters and
tangible. Many of them were inspired to make
waited until the Pagal Gymkhana was over,
the other employees year on year over the
donations to the school to help us to fund the
then hurled rain, lightning and high winds
decades. Each yearbook that records the
next stages in our development. By Founder's
at the huge and elaborate structures
individual achievements of the boys is a
Day itself some 45 crores had been pledged
needed for an event of such magnitude,
physical building block in the history of this
to the DS75 Fund and I was able in my speech
prestige and complexity. We watched as
great school. It is always an honour to be the
to launch with confidence a campaign to raise
the vast stage, and the coverings and
headmaster of such a school during one of its
120 crores for scholarships, building projects
awnings required for the presidential visit,
anniversaries, and I am no exception in feeling
and faculty development purposes.
were ripped apart, not once but twice, by
fortunate to have been so myself in 2010. But,
vicious thunderstorms.
as ever, The Doon school is about boys and
One of the saddest events of the year was the untimely death of one of The Doon
Lesser schools would have cancelled the
School's great masters, Mr. Sheel Vohra, just
celebrations, but, in true Dosco spirit,
days before the jubilee. There was an
everyone rallied round and, after a wild,
outpouring of grief amongst the entire Dosco
sleepless night for us working on campus,
community, not least because he and so
the President of India, the King of Bhutan,
many of the old boys who revered him were
Shri Kapil Sibal, Shri Kamal Nath, Governor
looking forward to meeting at Chandbagh for
Margaret Alva and Chief Minister Ramesh
this very special Founder's together. For so
Pokhriyal 'Nishank' were all able to sit on
many he was a link to the halcyon days when
the podium in an MPH transformed from
The Doon School had just emerged as the
an emergency rainproof party venue for
nation's most admired and respected school,
the Old Boys' Gala Dinner into a speaking
and to the earlier generation of great masters
venue fit for a president. It was one of the
such as 'Holdie', Mr. Vohra's mentor. As I
proudest moments of my life to see Ds75
write this, months after he passed away, I still
rise phoenix-like from the carnage of Main
cannot believe that I will not be able to
Field within a few hours.
wander down to Main Field of an afternoon and see him sitting on his favourite bench close to the foot of Mr. Holdsworth's memorial. His spirit certainly lives on in The Doon School and will never die.
3
their masters, and I should like to congratulate the editorial team on being those chosen to create this important publication and the historical record of our platinum jubilee year. Shayan Italia, an old boy of the school himself, sang on a reconstructed stage on Main Field on Founder's Day itself of Doscos forever and brothers for life; these pages are proof of what makes his sentiments so true.
Athletics Report
Sitting 1st Row (L to R): Adhiraj Singh, Tushar Gupta, Udai Bothra, Vahin Khosla, Uddhav Prasad, Mr Manu Mehrotra, Saarthak Singh, Virein Chabra, Aditya Vikram Gupta, Raj Kumar Vijay, Arjun Midha. Sitting 2nd Row (L to R):Karan Shinghal, Banda Maan Singh Lamba, Arjun Parmar, Rohan Gupta, Nikhil Narain, Adhiraj Singh Thakran, Dhruv Agarwal, Rahil Badhwar, Prabhjot Singh, Aishwarya Karan, Vikram Singh Gill. Sitting 3rd Row (L to R): Rishavraj Das, Gaurav Kothari, Yasser Iqbal, Aditya Vikram Gupta, Ayush Tripathi, Khalid Alawnah, Anmol Singh Jamwal, Vigya Singh Dhiman, Madhav Dutt, Nipun Dutta, Siddharth Sarin, Rakshit, Suhel Karara Athletics in school this year witnessed a very enthusiastic participation from all forms. Even though the season was cut short because of the preparations for DS-75, Doscos managed to put up spectacular performances in the interhouse competition and otherwise during the season. Students were dedicated and eager to get on the field, and one could see them sweating it out as soon as the clock struck three. More than three-quarters of the School participated in Marching. After practising for weeks, the various House marching squads left the spectators awestruck with the high level of coordination amongst themselves. The inter-house athletics competition exhibited high amounts of talent this year. Tata House emerged victorious in the Juniors Category. Rajkumar Vijay was awarded the Best Junior Athlete trophy.
In mediums, Tata House walked away with the trophy. Competitiveness was increased by athletes like Adhiraj Thakran, Dhruv Agarwal and Arjun Midha amongst others. The Kashmir House team has been winning the Athletics trophy for the last four years and kept up the record by winning the Senior trophy for the fifth year. Athletes like Tushar Gupta, Udai Bothra and Vigya Singh played their parts in getting their House the senior cup. Viren Chabbra made the field events all the more interesting to watch with the number of stunning performances he put up. Tushar Gupta broke the Seniors high jump record and set it at an unbreakable 1.76 meters. He also won the Mumtaz Ahmed Trophy for the Best Senior Athlete. All in all, the athletics season this year was a very good one and will forever be remembered by the students of the School.
Half Colours – Aditya Gupta, Adhiraj Thakran, Adhiraj Singh, Arjun Midha, Aditya Gupta, Raj Kumar Vijay Full Colours – Saarthak Singh, Udai Bothra, Tushar Gupta, Virein Chabra 4
SC LEAVERS
Arnav Sahu “My journey from a nobody to a somebody"
Arnav was the School Captain. He
Arnav was awarded the Scholars
Arnav represented the school as the
was the Secretary of the DSMUN,
Blazer. He won many Best Speaker
Valedictorian and at the Athenian
Senior English Debating Society
awards at various
School for exchange. He also
and Games Committee. Arnav was
debatingcompetition and also won
represented the school at various
the Boy-In-Charge of DSMUN. He
best delegate awards at various
debates and Model United Nations.
was an Associate editor for the
MUN Conferences. He achieved the
Arnav was a meber of the house
Weekly and a Senior Editor of the
first position in the Junior Shankar
soccer, basketball, cricket and
Circle. He was also a member of
Dayal Essay Competition and the
athletics team. He also represented
the 'Vision Committee'.
second position in the Shanti
the house at Debating, First Aid,
Swarup Essay Competition. Arnav
Shanti Swarup Essay Competition
was also awarded the Bronze and
and at the Hindi Poetry Recitation
Silver medals in LAMDA.
Competition.
Arnav Sahu “Let us be thankful for the School that we have experienced.
Arnav was the School Captain. He
Arnav was awarded the Scholars
Arnav represented the school as the
was the Secretary of the DSMUN,
Blazer. He won many Best Speaker
Valedictorian and at the Athenian
Senior English Debating Society
awards at various
School for exchange. He also
and Games Committee. Arnav was
debatingcompetition and also won
represented the school at various
the Boy-In-Charge of DSMUN. He
best delegate awards at various
debates and Model United Nations.
was an Associate editor for the
MUN Conferences. He achieved the
Arnav was a meber of the house
Weekly and a Senior Editor of the
first position in the Junior Shankar
soccer, basketball, cricket and
Circle. He was also a member of
Dayal Essay Competition and the
athletics team. He also represented
the 'Vision Committee'.
second position in the Shanti
the house at Debating, First Aid,
Swarup Essay Competition. Arnav
Shanti Swarup Essay Competition
was also awarded the Bronze and
and at the Hindi Poetry Recitation
Silver medals in LAMDA.
Competition.
8
Arnav Sahu “My journey from a nobody to a somebody"
Arnav was the School Captain. He
Arnav was awarded the Scholars
Arnav represented the school as the
was the Secretary of the DSMUN,
Blazer. He won many Best Speaker
Valedictorian and at the Athenian
Senior English Debating Society
awards at various
School for exchange. He also
and Games Committee. Arnav was
debatingcompetition and also won
represented the school at various
the Boy-In-Charge of DSMUN. He
best delegate awards at various
debates and Model United Nations.
was an Associate editor for the
MUN Conferences. He achieved the
Arnav was a meber of the house
Weekly and a Senior Editor of the
first position in the Junior Shankar
soccer, basketball, cricket and
Circle. He was also a member of
Dayal Essay Competition and the
athletics team. He also represented
the 'Vision Committee'.
second position in the Shanti
the house at Debating, First Aid,
Swarup Essay Competition. Arnav
Shanti Swarup Essay Competition
was also awarded the Bronze and
and at the Hindi Poetry Recitation
Silver medals in LAMDA.
Competition.
Arnav Sahu “Let us be thankful for the School that we have experienced.
Arnav was the School Captain. He
Arnav was awarded the Scholars
Arnav represented the school as the
was the Secretary of the DSMUN,
Blazer. He won many Best Speaker
Valedictorian and at the Athenian
Senior English Debating Society
awards at various
School for exchange. He also
and Games Committee. Arnav was
debatingcompetition and also won
represented the school at various
the Boy-In-Charge of DSMUN. He
best delegate awards at various
debates and Model United Nations.
was an Associate editor for the
MUN Conferences. He achieved the
Arnav was a meber of the house
Weekly and a Senior Editor of the
first position in the Junior Shankar
soccer, basketball, cricket and
Circle. He was also a member of
Dayal Essay Competition and the
athletics team. He also represented
the 'Vision Committee'.
second position in the Shanti
the house at Debating, First Aid,
Swarup Essay Competition. Arnav
Shanti Swarup Essay Competition
was also awarded the Bronze and
and at the Hindi Poetry Recitation
Silver medals in LAMDA.
Competition.
9