With the rise of Indian nationalism, educationist Lala Raghubir Singh promoted Modern School, Barakhamba Road,in 1920 to combine modern liberalism with the best Indian traditions – Somdev Thakur SPRAWLED OVER 25 VERDANT ACRES IN the heart of Lutyens Delhi, the CBSE-affiliated Modern School, Barakhamba Road (MSBR, estb.1920) has enhanced its reputation as the national capital’s pioneer day-cum-boarding school over the past 95 years. In the EducationWorld India School Rankings 2014, this high-profile school venerated by the Delhi establishment, is ranked #4 all-India and #2 in Delhi in the category of day-cum-boarding schools. Promoted in 1920 with an enrolment of six children, the co-educational MSBR currently has 2,560 class VI-XII students including 850 girl students and 100 boarders instructed by 125 teachers, on its muster rolls. The school’s feeder primary (K-class V) on Humayun Road was inaugurated in 1961 and boasts 1,700 students mentored by 65 teachers. Moreover in 1975, in response to demands of the rapidly expanding population of the national capital and growing reputation of MSBR, a full-fledged K-12 affiliated school was established in Vasant Vihar which currently has an enrolment of 2,200 students and 100 teachers. Another branch (K-X) in Kundli, Sonepat admitted its first batch of students last academic year. The Modern School was promoted almost a century ago with the objective of providing upper primary and secondary education rooted in Indian values and traditions combined with best education practices of the West. Merit and excellence are our watchwords and service to humanity our motto. Our goal as it was a century ago, is to produce well-rounded and confident individuals ready to assume leadership positions in the country and anywhere in the world, says Dr. Vijay Datta, an alumnus of Rajasthan University and Regional Institute of Education, Ajmer, who served as dean of Mayo College, Ajmer (1990-2011) and principal of Army Public School, Dagshai (2011-2014) before being appointed principal of MSBR in June last year. Over the past nine decades, MSBR has successfully nurtured a host of distinguished alumni including renowned journalist Khushwant Singh, distinguished pilot Air Marshal P.C. Lal, legal luminary Justice B.N. Kirpal, prominent sarodist Amjad Ali Khan, accomplished filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor, doctor extraordinaire Naresh Trehan and outstanding cricketer Gautam Gambhir. MSBR had idealistic beginnings and its history is linked with India’s freedom struggle. With the rise of Indian nationalism and the swadeshi movement, Lala Raghubir Singh, a well-known Delhi-based educationist, together with a small group of friends (including Sardar Sobha Singh, the legendary builder who constructed Lutyens’ Delhi) promoted Modern School in 1920 as an experiment combining œmodern liberalism with the best Indian traditions. They envisioned a new class of Indians with broad outlook and non-subservient mindsets. Initially housed in a residential bungalow in Daryaganj, MSBR moved to its present site in 1933 and over the years the school’s campus has sprouted numerous buildings. Currently its expansive campus distinguished by its red brick main block and sub-divided into neatly laid out hockey and football grounds, offers contemporary academic, co-curricular and sports infrastructure. They include…
