Paromita Sengupta

Promoted over eight decades ago in pre-independence India, BBPS-GRH is ranked among the national capital’s Top 10 co-ed day schools in the EW India School Rankings 2024-25.

Spread across two contemporary campuses aggregating 6.37 green acres, the Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, Delhi (BBPS-GRH, estb.1944) has established a good reputation in the national capital for providing holistic, values-based, culturally rooted K-12 education to its 5,000 students instructed by 205 teachers. In the latest EW India School Rankings 2024-25, this co-educational school affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is ranked among Delhi’s Top 10 and India’s Top 20 co-ed day schools. Last year, Bal Bharati was also adjudged the country’s #1 Social and Emotional Learning Leader by an EW Grand Jury.

While BBPS-GRH’s main (class V-XII) campus is sited on Ganga Ram Hospital Marg in Central Delhi, the junior school (preschool-class IV) is sited on Pusa Road.

 Promoted over eight decades ago in pre-independence India by visionary educationists and philanthropists of the time under the aegis of Child Education Society (CES, regstd. 1944) — which currently runs and manages 26 BBPS schools countrywide — the flagship BBPS-GRH was established with the dual purpose of providing affordable, quality education and preserving India’s cultural heritage. Since then over the past 80 years the school has graduated notable alumni including bureaucrats, scientists, businessmen, film directors and musicians.

“At BBPS-GRH, our mission is to nurture leaders equipped with strong moral and ethical values combined with creative ingenuity and critical thinking skills to address the challenges of an ever-evolving world. With deep commitment to lifelong learning and the cultivation of integrity, our goal is to shape individuals who are as compassionate as they are capable, ready to contribute with vision, resilience, and wisdom to the development of our nation and global society,” says Laksh Vir Sehgal, a physics and education alum of Punjabi University, Patiala, who acquired three decades of teaching and admin experience (Sainik School, Kapurthala, and PML SD Public School, Chandigarh) prior to taking charge as principal of BBPS-GRH in 2000. Moreover, he was appointed Joint Secretary of CES 17 years ago.

Unsurprisingly, the school’s management prides itself on its progressive, child-centric and inquiry-driven pedagogy aligned with the mandates of NEP 2020. “Currently, our thrust areas are structured reading and development programs through an active Newspapers in Education program; skills education — AI, financial literacy, coding, travel, front office management, and tourism — ensuring students’ socio-emotional wellness through life skills training; value education, plus a formal Happiness curriculum,” he adds.

The school’s progressive education philosophy and student-centric pedagogies have paid off handsomely. BBPS-GRH students have consistently excelled in academics. Of the 344 students who wrote the CBSE class X board exam in February 2024, 55 averaged above 90 percent with toppers Abeer Chawla and Navya Bhardwaj scoring 97.2 percent. Likewise, of the 295 students who wrote the CBSE class XII board exam, 79 students averaged above 90 percent with topper Keshav Gupta averaging 97.6 percent.

Progressive pedagogies, rigorous curriculum and well-trained teachers apart, the school’s campus houses 180 spacious Smart classrooms including activity rooms, 13 well-equipped laboratories including separate computer science, maths, language, and Atal Tinkering Labs, Reading Corners and class libraries along with three school libraries — with an aggregate 50,000 volumes — which also serve as venues for popular TEDx talks and other events. Other enabling campus facilities include the school’s hi-tech recording studio, three air-conditioned teachers resource rooms, a Special Needs Department, two state-of-the-art auditoriums, two amphitheatres and an Open Air theatre.

Similarly, BBPS-GRH’s infrastructure for over 20 sports includes two swimming pools, a gym, dedicated grounds for football and cricket, basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton courts, plus a multipurpose hall for indoor sports and yoga. “Moreover, the school runs an Evening Sports Academy where students and children from the neighbourhood can register to play a variety of sports,” says Sehgal, himself a Grade A basketball player certified by NIS, Patiala.

For an integrated education experience, co-curricular activities are a major focus area at BBPS-GRH. Vocal, instrumental and brass band music, community service, NCC, green initiatives, and visual and performing arts are conducted by 25 hobby clubs and societies.

With this 81-year-old school continuously reinventing itself to meet the challenges of 21st century education, the future is bright. “BBPS has a rich legacy of excellence and we are committed to continuously innovating and enhancing our systems and infrastructure. Plans are under way to set up an additional recording studio for faculty to record lessons for remote teaching, and facilities to provide futuristic skill-based education,” says Sehgal.

ADMISSION & FEES

Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, Delhi is a K-12 CBSE-affiliated co-ed day school. Admission into Nursery is as per guidelines of the Department of Education, Delhi state government, and for other classes based on vacancies.

Tuition fees (annual): Rs.78,840-90,720
For further information, contact: 011-2578 6897 (GR Campus); 011-2574 1157 (PR Campus); email: [email protected]