India gets its first individual Olympics gold medal
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has lavished praise on Abhinav Bindra, the country's first individual Olympic gold medallist. Mr Singh said that Bindra's achievement- he claimed the men's 10m air rifle shooting title - was a "golden performance". The Indian President, Pratibha Patil, has also lauded Bindra's feat. India, winners of eight hockey gold medals, had never won an individual Olympic title before Bindra's success. Read the BBC story for more information. Bindra was in Doon between 1993 and 1995.
Fatehgram, a small village near Dehra Dun, has achieved self-sufficiency, thanks to a unique model. Two years ago, a premier school and an NGO in Dehra Dun got together to adopt Fatehgram, a sleepy, non-descript village on the outskirts of Doon valley. Their efforts are paying off. Literally.
The Doon School Team won the Gibson Cup for the 2nd year in a row with a comfortable 14 1/2 to 10 1/2 score line on 15th December, 2007. 25 Teams from each side competed for the magnificent “Gibson Goodwill Cup” at the Classic Golf Resorts, Gurgaon.
Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal is all for fiscal discipline and economic reforms. But this Doon School-educated son of a farmer and nephew of CM Parkash Singh Badal is fast becoming unpopular with his Akali Dal colleagues for his talk on abolishing subsidies and cracking down on tax evaders. Read the full interview in Outlook magazine or excerpts below.
Dr. Manoj Patel M.D., (580-JA ’88) voted one of Best Doctor in Dallas
Our heartiest congratulations to Dr. Manoj Patel M.D., (580-JA ’88) who was voted as one of “The Best Doctors” in Dallas for the year 2007. This announcement was made in the October issue of the Dallas D-magazine. This voting is conducted annually by Doctors in Dallas. There are about 12,000 Doctors in the Dallas area who annually vote for the best in their profession in a given year. Dr. Patel canbe reached at mp.md@hotmail.com. Manoj has now been in Dallas for 10 years. He graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine and completed Internal Medicine residency at Tulane University School of Medicine.
You are as old as you feel seems to be the motto of Gurdial Singh, an octogenarian from the city who has been selected for Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2006. Singh would be conferred the award by President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The communication was sent by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This article was first published in the Indian Express on August 28th, 2007.
My Friend Roopak "Roopi Sallu" Saluja by Pratik Basu
The third? fourth? fifth? in a series of profiles of the interesting people that I have been lucky enough to have met during this long, strange trip. Roopak "Roopi Sallu" Saluja (453-HA '93) was one of those guys when he arrived as a fresh-faced, bespectacled, overweight, Mama's Boy in the Spring of 1987 at a small boarding school oh-so romantically tucked away in the foothills of the Himalayas. This article was written by Pratik Basu (442-TB '93).
Outlook Magazine is reporting that fewer people from the metros are being admitted into the IAS. In fact, less than 2 in 10 entrants were from a metro or a state capital in '04 and one out of four are kids of fathers who have not studied beyond matriculation. It represents a changing of the guard and probably better reflects the composition of India as a whole. But are fewer doscos applying the IAS and the IFS? Anecdotally, it certainly appears so.
Why is this the case? Is it because we feel there are better paying jobs awaiting us abroad? Or because we are fed up with the the political system? Every few years, we discuss whether doscos are doing enough for the country. With fewer choosing government service, just as fewer people from the metros are too, what place will Doon have in the shaping of India two decades from now?
Sify News has a photo essay on Doon with some memorable photographs that go a long way to capture the spirit of the school. The accompanying text is interesting too and may give you reason to pause and think. You may disagree with the way in which school is described. Take a look and tell us what you think by adding a comment to this post.
Dosco SAT Score: 2,370 out of 2,400 says Times of India
Harshvardhan Chamria was always known as a special talent at La Martinere for Boys (LMB). Though he had consistently set higher academic standards for himself, no one expected him to achieve what he has now made possible.
Not only is Harsh, possibly, the highest scorer in SAT — the mandatory entrance test that candidates have to take for entry to US universities — from Kolkata this year, he is perhaps the only plus-two passout ever who has been invited by at least seven of the Ivy League universities in the US to join their undergraduate degree programmes. Harsh completed his ICSE from The Doon School
Jatin Bery (233-KA '91), Amitav Virmani (260-JB '91) and Harsh Gupta (453-HB '87) won the Take Solutions World Corporate Golf Challenge Tournament (North Zonal) played earlier this year.
At the memorial service held on Tuesday the 29th May 2007 at 5.15 pm at the Cathedral of the Redemption, Church Road (near Gurudwara Rakabganj) North Avenue, New Delhi, in memory of Lt Col Eric Simeon, Headmaster, The Doon School 1971 – 1979, his son Mr. Dilip Simeon expressed a desire to compile various anecdotes relating to his father. Any student who had the privilege of being with him in School and has some interesting anecdote to relate is requested to write it and send the same to Dilip for compilation. Dilip's email ID is dilipsimeon@gmail.com
Banking on a wealth of relationships Ajay S Shriram (161-KA '70)
A self-proclaimed party animal, Ajay S Shriram smiles as you hint about his share of wealth. The wealth of relationships — some acquired way back in school while others from the business fraternity.
“You may spot me promoting a friend’s painting exhibition or even promoting a social cause,” he says. Unlike many honchos of his league, the chairman and senior managing director of DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd doesn’t shy away from talking about the parties he attends. With an equally open mind he welcomes comments from his employees about how he looked at last night’s party.
Note this article appeared in The Financial Express on Sunday, May 13th, 2007.
Cobra Beer's Dynshaw Italia (605-KB '88) wins award
India-born corporate executive Dynshaw Italia, finance director with Cobra Beer, has won the Young Finance Director of the Year award conferred by a leading business lobby, the Confederation of British Industry.
The award was conferred during the third excellence awards function co-hosted by the Real FD trade magazine at the Dorchester hotel here to celebrate outstanding performance of Britain's finance directors across all sectors of businesses.
Colonel Eric Joseph Simeon (1918-2007) passes away
Colonel Eric Joseph Simeon (1918-2007) – Officer, gentleman and educationist, passed away in New Delhi on the 15th of May 2007 in his 89th year. He is deeply mourned by his extended family of relatives, colleagues and students of the Corps of Signals; Sainik School Kunjpura; La Martiniere School for Boys, Kolkata; The Doon School, Dehra Dun; and the Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai.
Col. Simeon was Headmaster at Doon School from 1971 to 1979. With Colonel Simeon’s passing, The Doon School has now lost all Headmasters from 1935 to 1979. We at the DSOBS extend our heartfelt condolences to his son, Dilip and join him in praying that his soul finds everlasting peace.
The London doscos held a get-together last Friday at The Soho Bar (in Soho). Photographs of the evening have been published in the Dosco Network. If you're not a member, request an invitation and sign up now. You'll be able to add your own photographs, connect with others and discuss issues in a dosco only area zone.
Over the last few years, this site has prided itself in being active, community oriented and always on the look out for new things to try. The discussion boards have been very successful and so have the polls, the dosco finder, the notable alumni lists, the email announcements and more recently the blog format. Now it is time to take that all one step further.
We're launching a social networking service that will complement dosco.org and will be exclusively for Doscos and about Doscos. It is a place where you can really let your hair down, publish your own thoughts, connect with other Doscos, upload pictures, rate other posts, discuss the consequential and the frivilous issues alike and invite others to join you online.
It's the The Dosco Network - a virtual embodiment of our old boys network. Request an invitation to join and please enter your house, number and year in the request. Once a member, remember it is a place only for Doscos so feel free to invite as many Doscos as you like (the more the merrier) but no one else. It is exclusively and privately for Doscos.
Dosco interviews Dosco on TV. The Kamal Nath Interview
Minister of Industry and Commerce Kamal Nath (366-H '64) was interviewed by Karan Thapar (238-JA '71) on The Devil's Advocate. Karan Thapar grilled him about the Nandigram episode and the government's commitment to special economic zones.
Read the complete interview on the IBN-Live website.
Manpreet Singh Badal has been named Finance Minister in Prakash Singh Badal's newly formed Punjab Government. He is one of the youngest ever to get the finance portfolio in the state.
Children's Health and Welfare Foundation organizes Dinner
Children's Health and Welfare Foundation started by Nakul Chandra (265-H '54) in New jersey 1995 is hosting a dinner dance in New Delhi on March 29th. This will be followed by a golf outing on March 30th. The Foundation has helped to immunize more than 30 000 children in Varanasi and has supported cataract operations as well. For more information visit CHAWf.org. To attend the golf and dinner events please call Subodh Chandra at 9811914 888 or Alka Gupta at 9811025524.
The Age of Reason and other dosco films by David MacDougall
Over the last few years, David MacDougall has produced five ethnographic films on The Doon School. His most recent film that came out in 2004 is still being discussed in academic circles and is worth highlighting as a result.
In The Age of Reason he focuses on the life of one student whom he discovers at the school. The film explores the thoughts and feelings of Abhishek, a 12-year-old from Nepal, during his first days and weeks as a Doon student. This is at once the story of the encounter between a filmmaker and his subject and a glimpse of the mind of a child at “the age of reason.”
Rumor has it that Sharon Stone and Tikka Shatrujit Singh (564-TA '80) are said to be dating. Singh is the family head of Kapurthala and adviser to the chairman of Louis Vuitton. While more than likely they are just friends, it is still resulting in a lot of gossip.
The Schoolbook Grows Up, At Last says Outlook Magazine
What are the following doing in a school textbook? 1) A picture of blank editorial space to protest the censorship of newspapers; 2) extracts from the Shah Commission's report on the Turkman Gate atrocities and the custodial death of a student called Rajan; and 3) a statement that the centralisation of powers within the Congress party made it impossible to check the slide into authoritarianism during the Emergency.
Read the rest of this insightful article on how the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) World Politics class 12 textbooks finally reflect reality and are a world away from the preachy sermons of past editions. Dr. Kanti Bajpai was NCERT's advisor for the world politics book.
Sheel Vohra DSOBS Inter-House Cricket followed by Delhi Chapter Dinner on March 10th, 2007
In the centre of the school that we love so much lies a hallowed plot of green. As boys from The Doon School, this wide open space that we call the main field will always be part of our collective memories. As enduring for many of us is the memory of a presence that has most often stood in the centre of that hallowed ground. And "Smell the ball," is one of the many sounds that rings clear with this eternal memory.
Vintage old boy & assistant master, civil servant, writer & author, mountaineer & skier, conservationist, conscience-keeper for the underprivileged………a role model for all seasons. An article by Nalni D. Jayal (100-T '45).
When Aamir wrote in a letter to Guru and me in June last year expressing a wish to visit India from his home in Geneva to spend a few days with us in Delhi in November, he cautioned that health problems (at age 83) may change things and felt this was probably the last time he would manage to get to India!
You can now get blog updates in your email by just entering your email address in the "Updates" box at the top right hand corner of the home page of Dosco.org. These once a week emails will keep you updated with dosco news and happenings. If there aren't any updates to the blog that week, you won't get an email.
Dosco Writers recognized by the President on Republic Day
Vikram Seth (250-J '68) (Padma Shri) and Amitav Ghosh (246-H '72) (Padma Bhushan) were recognized by the President during the Republic Day celebrations.
Others chosen included noted jurist Fali Nariman, well-known litterateur Khushwant Singh, former Chief Justice P N Bhagwati, leading writer Javed Akhtar and telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal. Also on the list was leading industrialist J J Irani, Pepsi Chief Indra Nooyi, Suzuki Motor Corporation chief O Suzuki Singh and IIM (Ahmedabad) Director Bakul Dholakia.
Doscos participate in World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting
Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath (366-H '64) will lead a 100-member delegation to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland beginning later this month. The delegation also includes Gautam Thapar (200-H '79) and Dhruv Sawhney (37-K '59).
Over 2,000 participants from around the world will discuss issues pertaining to economics, geopolitics, technology and society over the five-day meet on the theme — "The Shifting Power Equation."
A futuristic businessman is no more (Lalit Thapar 98-J '47)
In the early 70s, when Indira Gandhi thought of nationalising the paper industry, the industry only had Lalit Mohan Thapar (98-J '47), chairman, Ballarpur Industries Ltd (Bilt), to turn to, recalls H S Singhania, chairman, JK Industries (from DNA India). The government wanted to take control of the industry to ensure supply of paper for schools and other educational institutions at low prices.
The Barefoot Approach Beyond India. An evening with Bunker Roy (NY)
Hailed by Fast Company magazine as "the best thing going" in rural development, Bunker Roy and the Barefoot College have demonstrated to the world that what may seem impossible is possible, that "experts" don't have all the answers, and that with the Barefoot approach, the rural poor develop their own communities.
Wednesday, February 7th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Helen Mills Theater, 137-139 West 26th Street, New York. Learn more about the event on the Barefoot College website and send us your news.
Time Magazine named you the 2006 person of the year. Why? Because in 2006 people contributed photographs, blog postings, video clips and more online. They engaged online and shared their thoughts on the world around them.
It heralds a transformative movement from mass media to me-media where each individual is empowered to play a more active role in society. Why does this matter to doscos?
Because we too must engage more online with each other and the world around us. We must be willing to connect online and share information. We must be willing to take stands on issues concerning us and debate them publicly and professionally online. We must become an alumni body where every voice matters and every idea carries weight with the best ones bubbling to the top.
1st Eagle Challenge Golf Trophy. Jaipur vs. Rest of the World
The first Eagle Challenge Golf Trophy is scheduled to be played in February/March, 2007, at Gurgaon/Delhi. Jaipur House, winners of the 2006 Inter-House Golf Tournament, shall take on all comers, regardless of House or School in a “BEST BALL” format. The Tournament shall be followed by a Grand Ball & Prize Distribution Dinner at an appropriate venue. Don't miss this tournament if you are going to be in Delhi.
It was the last polo match of the Delhi season with a face off between teams sponsored by the well-known Doon school and Welham girls. Though the Welham team had top polo champs Angad and Uday Kalan they still lost to the Doon team led by Dosco Sanjay Kapur as reported by NDTV. Though Kapur's wife Karisma Kapoor gave it a miss polo lovers were out in large numbers. Please note, this was not a DSOBS official event.
School vs. Old Boys, Founders 2006, R.L. Holdsworth Memorial fixture
The Old Boys fielded a strong combination with as many as six former school cricket captains - Arun Khanna, Nalin Khanna, Shashi Vaish, Pratyush Vaishnav, Amitoj Singh, Hemant Bishnoi in their ranks. They would have been joined by 2 more captains - Donny Singh and Samarjit Gaekwad but for the Class of '81 dinner on Saturday night.
Ashok Khanna (29-K '67) On the Himalayan trail, The Express
Being in the hotel industry for over three decades, Ashok Khanna, managing director of IHHR Hospitality, has seen it all. But he believes there are peaks yet to be conquered, finds Sanjeev Bhar.
I am greeted with an enchanting smile - a trademark of Ashok Khanna and a style perfectly in sync with his flagship brand 'Ananda'. His brainchild - Ananda in the Himalayas - voted by Condé Nast Traveller as the world's best destination spa, second year in succession - has become symbolic of Indian spas
Tarun Tahiliani (734-TA '80) and the World of Fashion, Times of India
He's full of energy, despite a late night fashion show triumph. And he's got mega plans up his sleeve. He finds Bangalore a charming mix of the trendy and the traditional — the couture set rubbing shoulders with the saree-clad. He loves Bangalore but hates the traffic. He mulls the conundrum of the big-earning, low-spending techie.
Barefoot College wins US$1 million Prize for Sustainability
Alcan and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) announced that the winner of the 2006 US$1 million Alcan Prize for Sustainability is India’s Barefoot College. The Barefoot College was founded and is managed by Bunker Roy (125-J '62) . The Alcan Prize annually recognizes NGOs, not-for-profit, and civil society organizations working to build sustainable societies around the world.
Piyush Pandey is considered the king of advertising in India. He was also the Chief Guest at this year's Founders Day celebrations. But who is Piyush Pandey? What does he believe in? And how does he think about brands?
Well for starters he was recently elected to the Ogilvy Worldwide board and currently is the executive chairman and national creative director of Ogilvy & Mather India. Below are some external links through which you can learn more about him.
The camera only came out after we had all drunk a few beers so the ones who left early aren't included in this set. Around 25 people showed up at this month's get-together on Oxford Street near the "Bonds" street tube station in central London. The bar was loud and it is fair to say everyone had a great time. All in all a fun evening. Click for more photographs, comment on them and if you have dosco photographs send them to us.
Lt General Adi Sethna (191-K '41), a member of the Minorities Commission, who was active in many walks of life, died today in Delhi after a brief illness. Sethna, who was 81, is survived by his wife, Khorshed and four daughters — Nilofer, Roxana, Shernaz and Shirene. He was buried today at the Parsi burial ground with the Army conducting the requiem. Doon Online extends its condolences to his family and friends.
Mumbai-born renowned sculptor Anish Kapoor (259-K '70) has emerged as one of the 100 most powerful people in the contemporary art scene in the world.
Fifty-two-year old Kapoor, who moved to Britain in 1972 and lived here since then, is listed 94 among the 100-strong list brought out on Saturday by Art Review magazine. The full article is reproduced from the Financial Express here.
Many of you probably remember studying Village by the Sea by Anita Desai in the 1990s for your ICSE exams. Well as it turns out, for her writing is nearly like a family business. Yesterday her daughter Kiran Desai was awarded the Man Booker Prize for "The Inheritance of Loss." Desai, 35, is the youngest female winner of the prize. The Inheritance of Loss is her second novel. We're confident that this book is just as brilliant as Village by the Sea
While other Indians like Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy have won the Booker Prize, none of our Dosco writers have as yet. Amitav Ghosh was nominated for his book The Hungry Tide last year but he did not win.
Outlook Magazine is 11 years old this year and to celebrate that event, Vinod Mehta is highlighting 11 people that matter in modern India. The list includes among others Sonia Gandhi, Pavan K. Varma, Amitabh Bachchan, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Aruna Roy, Sunil Bharti Mittal and our very own Amitav Ghosh (246-H '72). The profile on Amitav Ghosh is reproduced on Doon Online and is also available at Outlook magazine.
And in the same issue in a section about 11 things that made it big, Kanti Bajpai (264-T '72) discusses "Fission And No Fizz - N-power status put India back a notch on all counts. What saved us from the hole: theconomy." Read the article at Outlook magazine.
The IPSS and DSOBS: What’s the difference and what's your opinion?
In the latest Rose Bowl, Sati Pur (49-K '52) offered an explanation of the differences between the DSOBS and IPSS. He asked us to publish it online here too. Read the article and tell us what you think. Do you think the IPSS is representative of the school? Do you know the members? Is each class fairly represented?
And likewise, do you think that the DSOBS represents you as an old boy? Do you know your class representatives and the executive committee? Are you fairly represented? As reference at the end of the article we have published the official aims and objectives of the DSOBS.
As you may have noticed we've added some Wikipedia links down the left hand column below the news navigation of Doon Online. These links take you to pages on Wikipedia that list famous doscos. Why use these pages instead of publishing them on Doon Online itself? Because you can edit Wikipedia yourself and add names of doscos who are missing from the list.
Saadi Chowdhury and Govind Dhar have also created a list of commonly used dosco terms - a dosco glossary you could say. We've published this list on Wikipedia too so that you can edit and contribute more terms to the list. So choke up, take a look and add your own terms! The list is also in the resources navigation on the left below the news navigation.
Anish Kapoor's (259-K '60) Sky Mirror at Rockerfeller in New York city
Few doscos of our generation have had a grander impact than world renowned sculptor Anish Kapoor. Major pieces of his are on display in the MOMA and the Tate Modern in London. Kapoor is in fact one of the most important and influential practitioners of a movement in abstract sculpture called minimalism.
His latest offering is "Sky Mirror" at the Rockerfeller Center. Read more about it in this New York Times article. He was spotlighted on Doon Online a few years ago.
Several Doscos participated in the petition calling for a repeal of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code recently. The doscos were Vikram Seth, Siddharth Dube, Kanti Bajpai, Sanjay Kapoor, Bharat Dube, Rajiv Dutta, Amitav Ghosh, Ramchandra Guha, Tarun Tahilani and BG Verghes. Read this International Herald Tribune article to learn more about the issue. The Doon School has a long tradition in social activism and it is encouraging to see that it is alive.
Well-known industrialist and philanthropist, M.Ct. Muthiah (114-H '47), died in Chennai early on Monday. He was 76.
His grandfather, Sir M.Ct. Muthiah Chettiar, was the founder of the United India Life Insurance Company. His father M.Ct.M. Chidambaram Chettiar was the founder of the Indian Overseas Bank, the United India Fire and General Insurance Company and Travancore Rayons, India's first rayon fibre company.
According to the Times of India, R Rajaram, deputy director, Office of Admissions at the National University of Singapore visited The Doon School and several others recently on a mission to attract Indian students. Doscos are increasingly turning abroad for higher education. The question is how many of them return to start careers back home. Do you regret returning? Or rather do you wish you had left India's shores? And if you are a student, tell us whether you are planning to leave and why.
Lalit Nirula (142-K '59) and Deepak Nirula (165-K '68) have sold their Nirulas fast food empire to a joint venture between a Malaysian based private equity firm and an Indian hotelier. The newly appointed managing director of the chain is Samir Kuckreja (179-HB '84) who is Lalit's nephew. The chain, with over 60 outlets operating in five states, successfully caters to the Indian palate of over 50,000 guests every day.
Both Lalit and Deepak have done an immense amount for the school and the DSOBS over the last few decades.
Pommy Sarwal (279-T '69) joins Port of London Authority Board
Pommy Sarwal has joined the board of the Port of London Authority. A specialist in finance and business, he joins the board from Deloitte & Touche where he had been a partner in corporate finance since 2002. He is a member of the port advisory group of the DTI trade and investment division and a non executive director of the Chatham Historic Dockyard. Congratulations! This news was first reported in London's Financial Times.
If you have sent us an email about a news item or to request a Dosco Finder password over the last two weeks and have not heard from us, please email us again. Our mail was migrated this weekend and as a result, some emails were lost.
The Andover of India? WSJ Asian & European Edition version
A couple of doscos sent us the Doon alumni article from the Asian and European editions of the Wall Street Journals'. This article has a few more details than the US edition which was published earlier on Doon Online. Most interesting is the quote below,
"Three to four years ago, between 30% and 35% of Doon graduates went overseas for college, according to Dr. Bajpai, with most going to the U.S. and the U.K. Last year, the number rose to 50%; this year he predicts it will hit 70%."
With so many doscos leaving the country, does that mean Doon is becoming an "export" school?
Mohit Chandra (365-JA '86), sent me an interesting email in response to the Wall Street Journal article on Doon. His comments made me re-read the WSJ article again. With permission, I've posted Mohit's comments below.
" I read the article in the WSJ with misgivings. All it does is define 'success' by giving examples of Doscos in high corporate positions - in profit making, capitalistic, enterprises. I too am guilty of that (senior executive at KPMG in New York). But the ideals of Doon go way beyond that. Are we to feel proud that all our Alumni are good at, is making a lot of money? Where are the examples of statesmen, of artists, of humanitarians, or people inducing social change...that are the essence of our value based Dosco education? I would not jump for joy at this uni-dimensional and shallow article."
Do you agree with Mohit? Succeeding in Corporate America is important, but is it everything? Do we place too high a value on financial success? Has the Wall Street Journal missed the point of The Doon School? Or rather, have we forgotten what Doon School is supposed to be about ourselves?
The Andover of India? Graduates From Doon Score Top U.S. Jobs, Wall Street Journal
The much awaited article on The Doon School and its alumni appeared in this Saturday's Wall Street Journal on the front page. Doscos Vikram Malhotra, Ravi Sinha, Vinit Khanna, Deepak Thakran, Kabir Sethi, Rajiv Dutta and of course Dr. Kanti Bajpai were mentioned in it. Read the article, which was written by Anita Raghavanand for the Wall Street Journal, and tell us what you think of it.
DEHRA DUN, India -- At the Doon School, near the foothills of the Himalayas, life is spartan. The 500 boys enrolled here bathe together in communal showers. In winter, they pore over textbooks in rooms with no heat. Cellphones are forbidden and parental visits are kept to a minimum.
Secularism and The Doon School - Getting to the Meat of the Matter
An issue that should have stayed within the boundaries of the school recently leaked out. The question was of what type of meat should be served in the central dining hall. Doon Online delayed publishing this news item until the issue had moved out of the media limelight.
The Doon School was founded on the principles of secularism. Students were first Doscos and Indians before they were anything else. Doon was established as a non-denominational institution open to all students irrespective of their religion or caste background. Since then, the goal of the school has always been to provide young Indians with a rounded education, and to instill in them a respect for the ideals of secularism, discipline and equality.
Here at Doon Online, we're disappointed to hear how the parents reacted. Let school issues remain school issues and respect the values upon which the school was founded. Don't politicize an issue. Read Times of India's coverage of the subject below.
Bunker Roy (125-J '62) of Barefoot College was recently honored at the 2006 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University in England. By (left to right) Sally Osberg, president and CEO of the Skoll Foundation; Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley; actor/producer Robert Redford; and Jeff Skoll, founder and chairman of the Skoll Foundation. He was also favorably featured in Fast Company magazine in the United States.
Sheel Vohra (Bond) was successfully operated upon by Dr. Sanjiv Marya (415-T '74) at the Max Hospital, Saket. Bond's hip joint was replaced an uncemented hip joint. Get well messages can be sent to Bond at Max Hospital, Saket C/o the Orthopaedic Department. They may be marked to Mr. Girish Joshi, Secretary to Dr. Sanjiv Marya.
Novelist and essayist Amitav Ghosh is one of those people, and his ''Incendiary Circumstances" is a compilation of essays spanning two decades. They cover different countries and crises, but each is enlightened by Ghosh's signature intelligence and humanity. This is a writer who delights in human complexity, who avoids generalities and seeks out the small truths that illuminate the larger story.
Tikka Shatrujit Singh (564-TA '80) a Modern Maharaja
His grandfather was one of its biggest customers; his heir now plans Louis Vuitton’s market strategies. There are probably a few people who do not know or have not heard of Tikka Shatrujit Singh, but last week, at Threesixty at The Oberoi Delhi, they weren’t in evidence. Of course, the reason might well be that only metres away is the Louis Vuitton store, located off the hotel lobby, the first to open in India. The Tikka (which, for those of you who don’t follow royal genealogy, means the heir apparent) is advisor to the luxury LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) group, and has been at the forefront of the luxury group’s foray into the Indian market. Read the rest of the article on Tikka Shatrujit Singh at Business Standard.
From a distance it looks like a giant drop of glistening mercury, but up close it looks like a space ship that lost its way into the heart of downtown Chicago. In reality it is Cloud Gate, one of the most anticipated sculptures of the celebrated half Indian-half Iraqi Jewish artist Anish Kapoor (385-T '70).
The 66-foot-long, 33-foot-high and 42-foot-high giant bean like 110-tonne sculpture made of highly polished stainless steel plate has now been officially unveiled in the Millennium Park, one of Chicago's most talked about public squares.
Once the stomping grounds of the Indian elite, Doon School now harbours the aspirations of small-town nouveau riche. Read the April 17th, 2006 Outlook Magazine article on The Doon School.
Mr. Shomie Das is a former headmaster of The Doon School and the grandson of the school's founder, Satish Ranjan Das. In a recent interview with Doon Online, he talked about his days at Doon, how Doon is evolving and education in India.
When asked about his achievements as Headmaster of The Doon School, Mr. Das replied, "I think I was able to liberalise the general atmosphere greatly and also raise the academic standards without putting additional pressure on the boys. I was often accused of being too liberal!"
Headmaster Kanti Bajpai has written an opinion piece for Outlook magazine on why the movie Rang De Basanti is bad for the country. To quote the article which is titled, The Film Will Encourage Cynicism Dr. Bajpai says, " It is attractive in its stylishness, cast, acting, music and locale. Its politics, though, is not attractive. And if this is a clarion call to the Indian public—especially to those who are under 25—then we should be worried."
Storyteller in the Family: Inspiration and Obligation
A few days ago the New York Times published an article on Vikram Seth (250-J '68) and his new book, "Two Lives." The article explored Vikram's own life and what it took to write that book. It used the book to talk about Vikram Seth and gave readers a peak into his life. The book has been shortlisted for the National Circle Award. Visited the Doon Online spotlight on Vikram Seth to learn more about him. Also view the other spotlights. Special thanks to our friends at "Zatak" who found this article.
Vikram Seth in Delhi. His new book, "Two Lives," is his most personal.
Latika Katt (260-H '66) recently held an exhibition titled, "Salt of the Earth" at the Anant Art Gallery in Defence Colony, Delhi. She has had solo and joint exhibitions in India and abroad and is recognized as one of India's leading artists. Lalita currently heads the Department of Fine Arts & Art Education at Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi. Her father taught at Doon.
Sudhanshu Saria (20-OA '02) was recently featured in an MSNBC article on a national film competition that requires all participants to make a movie with their camera phones. Read the article at MSNBC.
He was also featured in other newspapers around the world for his work on the Cellflix Film Festival, including ABC's Good Morning America! show. He is also heading into production on his first feature length film, I, Love, and You. He is looking to get in touch with Doscos interested in filmmaking both in the US and in India. Email iamsuds@gmail.com to learn more.
Money needs to be raised to support the Art School and the DSOBS has a new innovative iniative to help. Prestigious Indian artists are being commissioned to produce works of art that will be sold to the Dosco community at deeply discounted prices. The earnings will go to the art school. Be sure to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get some good art and benefit the school!
Malvinder Singh (136-JB '90) CEO of Ranbaxy Laboratories
Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd on Wednesday announced a major rejig in the top management with Malvinder Mohan Singh taking charge as the CEO and Managing Director in place of Brian Tempest who has been promoted as the Chief Mentor and Executive Vice Chairman.
Vikram Seth's (250-J '68) Two Lives, was among the finalists announced for the National Book Critics Circle awards. The awards are announced on 3rd March; there are no cash prizes.
In related news, Vikram Seth is finally off the numero uno position in the non-fiction bestseller list, making way for Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's The Argumentative Indian, while Gregory David Roberts' Shantaram tops the fiction category.
With the new bills being passed in the Lok Sabha there's a chance that this might be a reality in the not to distant future. Is it right or wrong? Who knows? But we were a lucky to come across an insightful editorial in today's Times of India that explains the issue well. The editorial was written by none other than Kanti Bajpai, Headmaster of Doon.
Maybe this is a sign that school is closed for the holidays but we also saw Kanti Bajpai on television last night. In this instance he was a guest on Dosco Karan Thapar's show discussing Indo-Pak relations.
Karan Thapar (238-JA '71)launched his book, Sunday Sentiments yesterday at the Ashok Hotel. We happened to be at the launch and were able to get two photographs which also include L.K Advani who launched the book.
Govind Dhar (192-TB '97) completes his Dosco Summit recap for Doon Online. The second day is even more interesting as it includes highlights from speeches by Captain Amarinder Singh, Sunil Munjal, Kanti Bajpai, Masud Hassan, RP Devgun, Mr Farrokh K Captain and Anoop Bishnoi. Expect to see photographs added in the next day or two. This post has been republished with new photographs.
Dhruv Sawhney, Capt Amarinder Singh and Anoop Bishnoi.
David Keeling has published a book about the Doon Valuey. According to a Tribune book reviewer, " Doon on a Sunday offers you a witty and sagacious first-hand tour of Dehra. The writer has a unique style, with his articles interlaced with song and rhyme making the book interesting. " Read the full review below.
Amit Gupta (547 OB '94) Signs with Artist International
Award-winning director Amit Gupta has signed with Artist International's Literary Division, as announced today by Artist International/Doc Hollywood Studios (Other OTC:DHWS.PK - News) CEO Steven Saxton. Gupta is an award-winning director of commercials, music videos, and narrative films. His regional spot for Lori's Diner won a Telly Award in 2004, airing on ESPN, TNT, TBS and Sci- Fi. His commercials for the San Francisco Public Library won directing awards at the 2005 Academy of Art Annual Spring Show for best commercial and best sound design. Read the press release to learn more. Amit can be reached at Amit@refuge.tv
Satchidanand Sinha (184-T '68) poses an important question, "The Doon school I studied in and the school as it exists today are two different places. Comments anybody?" Tell us what you think.
Tony Blair appoints Dosco as trustee of Tate Gallery
Anish Kapoor (259-K '60) is considered one of the world's greatest living sculptors and that position was further recognized when he was recently appointed a trustee of the Tate Gallery in London, UK. To learn more about Anish Kapoor visit the spotlight on him.
The Rajasthani Foundation in collaboration with the Barefoot College, Tilonia (Rajasthan) brings you an evening of dazzling sights and sounds from the deserts of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur & Barmer. Bunker Roy (125-J '62), who founded Barefoot College, invites all Doscos to attend the performances.
A Word of Thanks - DSOBS Kashmir Earthquake Relief Efforts
This has come from the DSOBS executive committee. It was another wonderful initiative and one that we felt important to promote on Doon Online too. As you read the message, note that you can still contribute if you haven't already. On a separate note, next week is the Dosco Summit in Dubai. Expect updates from the summit here on Doon Online.
Sati Puri (49-K '52) has written to us with an update on the "Pledge to Power It" campaign. To date, the fundraising efforts have been successful though the school continues to need more funds. Read his note to learn more. And remember, it is not too late to contribute and contributions of all sizes are welcome.
The home of the world’s biggest plant conservatories will showcase the innovative work The Barefoot College of Tilonia has undertaken to develop traditional skills in poor, self-reliant communities in India and around the world. Barefoot College was founded by Bunker Roy (125-J '62).
Karan Thapar (238-JA '71) wins Asia Television Award
He won the Asian Television Award for the Best Current Affairs presenter for the third time. Karan won it for an interview with Arun Jaitley that was part of his Hardtalk India series on BBC.
Doon Online was recently highlighted in an Agencyfaqs article on how the internet is changing higher education. In giving leading examples from schools, government and universities in India, it mentions Doon Online.
To quote the article, " A website that does stand out is the blog of Doon School maintained and owned by an independent organization. Besides the interesting blogs posted by former ‘Doscos’, it features a forum (Virtual Doon), an email account and memorable photographs of the school and its events." Click to read the article.
The Third Health Summit was held between November 22nd and 23rd, 2005. Analjit Singh, CMD, Max Healthcare addressed the summit along with Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister of Health; Shiela Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi; Prasanna Hoda, Secretary, Ministry of Health and other luminaries.
A study conducted by CII and Escorts Heart Institute revealed that if India has to meet the target of taking healthcare to all parts of the country, it would need Rs1 trillion or US$150bn, which was short by about 60%. Read more at Infoline.
We hear about some Doscos via the press, some through their friends and in other cases from themselves directly. Pratik Basu (442-TB '93) is one dosco that we hear from regularly. Why? Because as a film major and someone with a continued keen interest in movies, he publishes witty reviews of movies that are showing in the theatres. Anyone can subscribe to receive them. Just email him at basu@pratikbasu.com. Below is a sampling.
National Network for India helps in Bihar Election
Roshan Seth (186-J '59), Promod Chawla(280-J '58), Prem S Jha (84-K '54) and Tara Sinha (mother of Ravi Sinha, 813-JB '81) helped the Election Commission during the recently completed Bihar elections. Their support was a National Network for India intiative. Read Promod's article to learn more about the great work that the NNFI and the National Campaign for India are doing.
Kanti Bajpai edits book on International Relations
Kanti Bajpai, Headmaster of The Doon School has co-edited a book titled, "International Relations in India — Bringing Theory Back Home." Along with Siddharth Mallavarapu, he has also edited, "Theorising the Region and Nation." According to The Hindu newspaper, the book simultaneously indict and challenge the discipline of international relations (IR) in India. Read the full article.
Rajiv Gandhi - In fair weather and foul, Business Standard
According to a recent Business Standard article, Rajiv Gandhi felt that he was betrayed by his Doon friends. These were the friends that joined him in politics and became his political confidants.
He has recently written a book titled, 'What Teens Need But Can't Quite Say' which was published by Rupa Books and launched by Ruskin Bond. Ex-Tata Housemaster Mr. Arun Kapur wrote the foreward. The book is a perspective written for teachers and parents using the 'teen's side of the story.' Saurabh can be reached at ssaklani@hotmail.com
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) today sent relief material for those affected by the October 8th earthquake in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) through the Joint Check Post at the international border at Wagah. The relief comprising of blankets, life saving drugs and clothing was handed over by the Immediate Past President of the CII Sunil Kant Munjal (180-KB '73).
Earlier this year, in a survey you told us what you liked and disliked about Doon Online. You also expressed your support for Doon Online and told us that we must continue publishing. Today, we want to simply say, we've heard you and in response have launched a new Doon Online.
The Telegraph poked some fun at Minster of Commerce and Trade, Kamal Nath (366-H '64) and his appearance as the Chief Guest at The Doon School Founders Day in October. Click to read the entertaining article.
Dr. P.M. Das (298-H '69) tragically passed away on Saturday, September 24th, while leading a National Level Expedition to a high mountain in North Sikkim along the Chinese border. He perished along with five other expedition members in an avalanche in treacherous terrain.
He was the Additional Director General of Police, Computerisation and Telecommunications, Punjab Police Headquarters, Chandigarh at the time.
The DSOBS has started work on a relief effort is looking to raise money to purchase blankets and tarpaulins. Please contribute to the effort. With the Tsunami Relief Efforts, the DSOBS has showed what we can all do when we come together.
The most interesting piece in the summary is that the DSOBS has set up a fund titled, "Navodaya" to use for a future crisis. Hopefully, this will translate into a long term, consistent initiative to contribute to the betterment of Indian society. Also interesting to note, is that the catalysts for the idea were all older doscos - Lt Gen Adi Sethna (191-K '41), B G Verghese (150-J '44) and Shomie Das (165-H '51).
Will this help Doon shed its image of being an elitist, exclusive and self serving fraternity? We certainly hope so and wish the Navodaya efforts every success.
The Barefoot College was featured on the BBC recently. View the photo essay. The founder of Barefoot College, Bunker Roy (125-J '61) continues to be an inspiring role model for Doscos around the world. Also read about the National Network for India, another interesting dosco volunteer effort.
The August 22nd, 2005 issue of BusinessWeek includes a special section on India and China. In an article titled, "Trying To Tame The Blackboard Jungle - As more Indian children flood into schools, educators struggle to boost quality," Kanti Bajpai is quoted as he talks about the impact of elections on the textbooks chosen
From the Indian Express (July 10th, 2005) - Managing director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hero group, 49-year-old Sunil Munjal (180-KB '73) gets the maximum votes for his personality, his attitude and his efforts to make a better Ludhiana.
In an article for the Guardian, William Darymple feels that the next generation fo Anglophone Indian writers will come from the west. Do you think The Doon School will be able to produce another Vikram Seth or Amitav Ghosh?
Exhibition covers Eton's relationship with India and Doon
A Statesman article by Christopher Rolland titled, "Footprints of the Raj" discusses the historic Eton relationship as shown in a recent exhibition at Eton in the UK. The exhibition also highlighted Doon's connection which extended beyond the fact that Doon's first headmaster A.E Foot, was an Etonian.
Trafalgar Square vigil includes poem by Vikram Seth
In the vigil held in memory of the victims of the London bombings at Trafalgar Square in London on July 14th, a poem by Vikram Seth was read out by the Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Police. The following morning BBC hosted Anish Kapoor who spoke about his forthcoming project of building the New York monument in memory of the September 11 victims.
Summary of the DSOBS Tsunami Relief & Rehabilitation Efforts
Gautam Chadha shares with us a summary of the highly successful DSOBS Tsunami Relief Efforts. The relief efforts really highlighted what it means to be a dosco.
Mani Shankar Aiyar (55-T '57) launches Rural Business Hubs
Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar (55-T '57) on Saturday announced a highly ambitious project called Rural Business Hubs, which will aim to eradicate rural poverty. He is also the author of Confessions of a Secular Fundamentalist.
The Doon School played host to a meeting of 650 women Panchayat functionaries from the village, block and district level in Uttaranchal. Separately, the final of the ONGC ITF Satellite tennis circuit Masters event was held at The Doon School. Peter Clarke of Ireland won the event
Rohit Rana (657-OA '95) is organizing 'The Commonwealth Chess Championship' in Mumbai in August under the auspicious of the Maharashtra & All India Chess Federations. Over 50 international masters will be participating. Rohit is looking for corporate sponsorships and can be reached at 91-9820409409
Doon is known to produce writers but this is probably one of the few times that the school has been featured in a piece of fiction.The two principal characters (Chekov and Zulu) in one of the stories in Salman's Rushdie's latest book, "East, West: Stories" studied at Doon.
Analjit Singh (132-J '71) to concentrate on healthcare
From the Calcultta Telegraph, " We are all now well aware of Analjit Singhs persistence in concentrating only on his healthcare and insurance businesses alone.
Dhruv Sawhney (37-K '59) company strengthens sugar business
Triveni Engineering is strengthening its businesses of sugar and engineering to emerge stronger, finds out Dilip Maitra. IT needs a lot of guts to ask investors to buy shares of a company at a premium if it is in the commodity business like sugar which suffers from near stagnation in price, slow growth in consumption and no product differentiation opportunity.
ISC and ICSE results were recently announced. The Doon School ISC average was 76.33% while the ICSE average was 83.49% which is the highest in at least nine years.
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India published an opinion piece in Wall Street Journal on May 19th. This article describes "The New India" and its role in the world. It is very interesting reading for any globally minded dosco.
The March Rose Bowl (7.5mb pdf) is now online. The print edition is going to be published for the forseeable future. Thank you for participating in the poll where we asked you whether it should go "electronic" only. Your feedback matters.
Headmaster Kanti Bajpai will be talking about Doon's future and its fund raising efforts at a special Dosco event in New York on May 14th. All old boys are invited. The event is taking place at Utsav Festive India. Read about the fundraising efforts, the way ahead and the school's mission.
There's a memorabilia summer special on. You can buy everything from flasks to boxer shorts emblazoned with the lamp. Download the brochure (.doc) to learn more. Memorabilia for "Dosco Moms" and "Dosco Dads" isn't offered but maybe that will come next.
ISC and ICSE results were recently announced. The Doon School ISC average was 76.33% while the ICSE average was 83.49% which is the highest in at least nine years.
The March Rose Bowl (7.5mb pdf)is now online. The print edition is going to be published for the forseeable future. Thank you for participating in the poll where we asked you whether it should go "electronic" only. Your feedback matters.
Karam Puri (655-KB'95) is acting in a new production called the SWAN in New York, NY. Read a review of the play by NY Theatre and buy tickets to watch the production.
Hari Menon (238-TB '85) writes about Roopkund lake
Hari Menon (238-TB '85) has written an article about the Roopkund lake titled "Bones of a Riddle." Hari is Outlook Magazine's features editor. His email address is harismenon@excite.com.
Old Boys have been invited to play a cricket match against the Doon School in Dehra Dun on April 10, 2005. If you are interested in playing, please contact Nalin Khanna via SMS at 98100-28127 or at nalink@vsnl.com.
Padmanabha Gopinath (154-H '54) serving at International Labor Organization
Padmanabha Gopinath (154-H '54) is serving as the Counsellor to the Director-General of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Prior to that, he worked for the United Nations. He has been recognized by Kofi Annan for his contributions to the UN System.
Malvinder Singh (136-JB '90) joins Young Global Leaders
Malvinder Singh (136-JB '90) was nominated to join a group called the Young Global Leaders which has been constituted by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Malvinder is currently a Director at Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals.
Lt.Gen.Adi M.Sethna talks about Public Consciousness
Lt.Gen.Adi M.Sethna (191-K '39)has written an article titled, " The Dosco and Public Consciousness." in which he reminses on the dosco value of public duty. Discuss whether doscos today have lost their sense of public duty in Virtual Doon. Also read B.G.Verghese's (150-J '44) article " The Rewards of Giving."
Bharat Talwar (452-HA '93) and Deep Deshpande (500-HA '94) were recently featured in IndUS Business Journal. Read the article in the Press Coverage area.
Dr. Kanti Bajpai will be a panelist at an Asia Society event in New York on March 11, 2005 titled, "India���s Tryst with Destiny in the 21st Century." The event is sponsored by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF).
Lt. General Deepak Summanwar new Director General of Military Intelligence
Lt. General Deepak Summanwar (160-K '64) took over as the new Director General of Military Intelligence at the Army headquarters on February 22nd. He commanded an infantry brigade in Rajasthan and a mountain brigade on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir during the Kargil conflict in 1999.
Ashvin Kumar's (271-OB '91) film Little Terrorist was recently nominated for an Oscar in the "Short" film category. Download the movie. Also read Ashvin's exclusive Doon Online interview. While Ashvin did not win an oscar, we congratulate him for being nominated.
Govind Dhar (192-TB '97) completes his Dosco Summit recap for Doon Online. The second day is even more interesting as it includes highlights from speeches by Captain Amarinder Singh, Sunil Munjal, Kanti Bajpai, Masud Hassan, RP Devgun, Mr Farrokh K Captain and Anoop Bishnoi. Expect to see photographs added in the next day or two. This post has been republished with new photographs. Dhruv Sawhney, Capt Amarinder Singh and Anoop Bishnoi.
