NEWSLETTER
March, 2008

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THE NOTICE BOARD

There was an Oral Interpretation competion for class 9 on the 25th of February. In which Tejasvita Singh secured first position.
Nikhil Pandhi secured first position in the Impromptu held for class 10.
In the Impromptu held for 'class 9' Tejasvita Singh secured first position.
Science Day was celebrated on the 29th of February.
The following are those who secured first position in their respective classes:
Class 6 : Shantanu Puri, Pranav Singhania, Mukund Ganjoo, Akshay Sharma, Gurbaz Khera.
Class 7 : Kairavi Raju, Dolly Vohra, Simran Yadav.
Class 8 : Akshal Arora, Abhishek Arya, Anuvral Munjal, Armaan Srinivasan.
Class 9 : (experiment) Aman Adil, Ayushman Wassan, (poster making) Diya Puri, Ada Grewal, Tanya Najhawan, Vikrant Puri.
Class 12 : Pranav Sarin, Aneesha Dass, Aneesha Labroo, Disha Brara.
(for more, visit the school website)
Congratulations to all!

'Our Fist Time'

Science Day

Science Day 2008

We all eagerly await the day when millions of desks are lined up in the middle of school to greet us as we set foot into the school gates. You guessed right- I’m talking about Science day! On February 28th this year, children from classes 6-9 set up experiments, models, games based on scientific principles and other presentations for other students to participate in, debate over and to learn, in an interactive manner. The junior school too, set up experiments and students of class 4 were allowed to bring all sorts of pets along as a ‘display’. Held for the second time in school, the straw bridge making competition was an extremely challenging and interesting activity, responsible for much excitement amongst students of classes 8-12. The much worked on and awaited science magazine, like every year, was released and all in all the day was rather stimulating and enjoyable!
Avanti Gupta

My First Adventure Camp

I was really excited before I went to Dhauj as it was my first camp ever. I woke up even before the alarm went off and quickly got ready. The bus ride was fun as we had loads of tuck.
The site was beautiful, very green. We were nine girls in our cottage along with a teacher. The others had a teacher too. Once we were settled, some of us went rappling and others rock climbing. Zorbing and Firefox were some of the other activities.
The obstacle race was different as we had to do rope climbing, hanging like sloths among other things.
The best part was keeping awake at night and chatting.
Rain dance was the high point and then a movie too- Home Alone! Soon it was time to go home and I am now looking forward to more camps.
TRISHA BANSAL3B
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Go Camp!!

It was an 11hours journey till Camp Kyari, located in the village by the same name. On the first day I was a little scared as there was no electricity.Soon we all got used to it and started loving it. The journey from the hut to the toilet was pretty much like a trek itself!It was especially scary when you needed to go at night.Starting from the hut, across the volley ball court, then across the dinner area and finally we’d reach the toilets after walking along a long, narrow path. Thank God for the torches that we had all carried.
We did rappelling, river crossing, body surfing jungle trekking, camp fire activities, craft work shops and we even had lunch with the villagers of the Kyari village!
I really liked the body surfing .We had to wear thick life jackets and then just lie down as if you were in bed and float along in the water.This was all done in a narrow canal which meandered beautifully.The current was pretty strong and to get out, we had to put our feet down and wade across to the side of the canal.River crossing and rappeling was also fun. When we were doing rappeling, we were harnessed and had to stand at the edge of the cliff and allow yourselves to fall or just walk down flat footed. Great Stuff but scary so many did not do it.
For river crossing,we had to stand on the cliff and be harnessed onto a rope which was attached to two trees. Then, we had to sit as if we were sitting on a chair, but the chair was invisible and made of air!!We had to pull ourselves along with our hands to reach the other end. Sounds easy but remember that this was all done at a height of about 70 feet!The jungle trek was an interesting walk where we saw leopard pugmarks and a termite hill almost bigger than me!
The craft workshop was cool too!There was lantenna, rope making, bamboo craft and rangoli. Lantenna was wood which we had to nail together and make things out of.We had to make baskets out of bamboo and as there was not much time I did not do rangoli. We played antakshari one night and learnt the camp song, ‘Rock Karela’ around the campfire.The lunch with the villagers was also a lot of fun as we had to follow the clues to reach their houses. Once there we had food and then helped them around their houses or their fields.Soon, it was time to go back and add this experience to our basket of memories.
Kaamya Sharma, 4B

'Trudging Forward'

 

After a long, hard day!

Shivpuri Beach Camp Diary 2008

Day 1- I was more excited than a mouse who found a palace of cheese! I was going to camp! I sat in the bus, too excited to do anything. After a while, I eased into the exhausting 8-hour journey. When we reached Shivpuri after a long wait, we unwinded and played volleyball and catch on the white sandy beach. We were divided into three groups, and tents were also allocated. Then we had a bonfire, where we did plays and sang songs. After that we settled down to sleep.
Day 2- One of the groups decided on yesterday went for rafting and one for trekking (half of the 3rd group rafted and the other half trekked). The rafting course had 8 rapids, the most exciting and dangerous being the “Three Blind Mice” rapid, which has a 3+ rating. The rafting was exhilarating to the core! I heard that Preenon had fallen into the “Return to Sender” rapid, but was still hale and hearty. We were allowed to bodysurf and some of us stayed in the water for over 30 minutes. When both groups were back, the rafters did team building activities and rope activities while the trekkers did another rafting course. After this, we had a bonfire like the previous night.
Day 3- The people who rafted first on Day 2 went to trek in the morning and vice versa. It wasn’t much of a trek, but the sun made us perspire like anything. We visited a government school, where we interacted with the children and joined in their prayers. When we came back, we heard that another person had fallen into a rapid, this time the person being Udayan. The people who trekked on Day 2 now did their rope and team building activities while the Day 3 trekkers did the second rafting course. After this, as the Burma bridge activity hadn’t been completed, we did that and followed the same schedule as before.
Day 4- After waking up at 5:30, we packed our bags, ate breakfast and sat on the beach, waiting for our luggage to be ferried (or rather rafted) across the mighty Ganga. As we sat, itching to get home, we talked amongst ourselves about the camp which had now come to an end. We had mixed feelings. Some though Beasi was better, others thought Shivpuri, but everyone agreed that the rafting was too good. The final verdict: fantastic!!
Even after 4 days of fun, excitement, and exhilaration, I was glad to be going home.
Ojasvi Goel VI-A

Dak Pathar - Class 7 Camp

Class 7 was anticipating its fifth camp. Each one so far has been a wonderful experience and the camp at Dak Patthar promised to be equally stimulating. The name itself made us envision ghosts and ghouls, and the feeling of mystery was enhanced as we made our way to our campsite in a bus; in the dead of night. But when we got to the campsite, we saw that it was no spirit infested place, but, rather, an enchanting location. The camp was set on a farm and we were surrounded by the beautiful, pristine countryside. We tumbled out of the bus, excited and eager to start the activities that had been planned for us. The organizers had decided that we would be divided into groups and that all the activities would be competitive ones. It was going to be an endeavor to build team spirit, skills and confidence. So we spent the first few hours writing out group mottos, slogans, war cries etc. and designing flags to identify our respective groups. All of this was planned to increase our team spirit. Soon we were being given a lesson in pitching tents - which was necessary as these were going to be our shelter for the next couple of days. As night fell a huge campfire was lit and we all crowded around it. There is nothing as cozy as the feeling of huddling around a warm fire playing games. We ended the night with a wonderful game of Antakshari. Officially, that is. The activities may have ended but there might have been a few feasts and parties after lights out! Certainly, that was as much a part of bonding with our peers as the organized activities. The next day we were introduced to truly challenging activities and we all pushed ourselves as we tried archery, rappelling, rock climbing and other survival skills. We were beginning to feel like a true team and we also gained confidence in our own abilities to rough it out. The most fun was experienced by those of us who tried the monkey crawl. Who could have imagined that hanging upside down making one’s way from one tree to another could be so exhilarating? But the most interesting activity had been saved for last: a grueling tag hunt which involved map reading, the use of compasses and walkie talkies and a long trek back to the campsite. We were pushed to our limits (physically speaking) but we all learnt that much of getting a task done is in the mind and a never can die attitude is hugely important. It became apparent to all of us that camp was not just about bonding and fun but also about giving us the skills and confidence to try unusual tasks and to push ourselves beyond the boundaries of our comfort zones. I know that this experience is one that will stay with me for a long time and it will become an important memory of our school days for all of us.
Divya Shastri, VII C
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The Last Camp

After a series of tragedies that almost always seemed to encompass our batch, something good was finally happening. We were going white water rafting on river Alakanada. Not that the trip was sans flaws. To begin with some of us were separated from the rest of the group on the train. We were asked to skew our luggage to half its size and carry only the bare necessities in a flimsy poly bag that tore off within an hour. Some washed their own utensils while some got bitten by insects and scorpions. There were tussles every time pakoras were served, then there were the lectures by ‘Mr. Bravado’ and the dollops of sun block did no good and we were all sun burnt by the end of the trip….
In spite of all its imperfections, even a cynic would find it hard to reprehend the time spent. The fact that we rafted for 20 hours tackling 88 rapids (which include ‘The Wall’) gives us a sense of achievement. Though many were averse to getting wet in the water fights, (most of which were initiated against the teachers, though Mr. Wayne turned out to be a tough nut to crack), no one regretted the dips into the gurgling gushes of the ‘Rollercoaster’ and ‘Golfcourse’. On the stretches where there were no rapids, various rafts would compete with each other to imaginary end lines. At the beach, while some of us just found it impossible to keep our hands away from sand, others invented some very interesting games to keep themselves occupied. But what made the time truly memorable was the company of our friends. We all cherished these moments knowing even more that this was probably one of the last times that all of us were doing something together. And as we walked into the bus back to school, a gloominess spread as everyone realized that the last camp too had come to an end. We walked into school knowing that we had just experienced something that would always be special. Even now, the “Forward Paddle” command that our guides gave echoes in our ears, and the sound of the waves remains to remind us of a joyous four days.
-Tarunima Prabhakar 12-C

"Journey's End"

'Fun in the Sun'

Class 9 Camp

I wake up in the morning, un-zip the sleeping bag, grab my toiletries and head for the bathroom, wash my face, to look up at the… BAMBOO!? Apart from the fact that Dudhwa National Park had bathrooms lacking mirrors, I’d say class nine had a whole lot of fun there this year. What set this camp apart from the other run of the mill camps wasn’t the tuck thefts, nor the usual ‘scandal’ (which is an integral part of all camps), but the strong bonds that we formed with our own classmates as well as the teachers and the camp counsellors. On our first day itself, while crossing a small stream to reach the place where we’d be planting trees, we got a little ‘carried away’, and majority of the class was drenched after our water fight! The gusts of wind blowing through our hair during the safari exhilarated us (though we would have preferred less dust!). We even made good friends with our jeep drivers, and I am sure that ‘Bhupinder’ will always remain a popular name with our batch. After the jeep safari though the park, another elephant ride through was on the schedule from which Rhinos, Deer and Crocs were seen just few feet away from us. We interacted with the Villagers of Aintpur, fed their cows, observed them in the act of making Gur, drank sugarcane juice and chewed ‘ganna’, which resulted in severe brace casualties. But the final day at the riverbank stole the limelight. After three long days of being out in the sun, the long bumpy trip to the bank was worth it. Once we reached, we all let our hair down- literally. As everyone romped and jumped about in the water, even a few teachers joined in by throwing water and mud on us! Some of us even went on a motorboat ride before getting back to camp and packing up. We said our heartfelt goodbyes to our camp instructors- Sanjay 1 (aka Uni), Sanjay 2, and Gurab (better known as Gulabo or Gadjet), the camp dog that stole some shoes (who we were actually happy to leave him behind), and of course Bhupi, and headed homeward from the camp that was nothing short of fabulous.
Brea Dutt & Ada Grewal, 9

Magnum

I had a golden Labrador named Magnum
Who thought I was his son.
He was 6 years old the day I was born
He was my friend for eight years
And I was with him the day he was gone.

He slept by my bed side at night
And played with me all day long
He waited at the gate when I was gone
And greeted me with barks of joy on my return

He loved the biscuits that I fed him
And protected me from all
It was a sad day when he died
But he shall always remain in my mind

I put him down in the ground
And made a grave
For my favourite hound

Nihal Singh Mann 4-B
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THINK ABOUT IT...

The difference between
genius and stupidity is that
genius has its limits.

Camp Beasi

Class five kids at bay! The site was out of this world. We had so much fun. River Rafting was the first activity I did and was it cool! Infinity, Double Trouble and then Hilton-You guessed right; these were the names of the rapids we crossed. The excitement and the thrill were too much to handle. Once the sun set we would play volleyball, cricket or badminton. If not this then we’d just sit by the riverside and chat. Come night time and we would have the campfire going with weird plays being performed on - The Filmfare Awards or the Cricket Crash! There were competitions like the Sand castle making competition, the best tent award and the best play award too- Enough to keep us busy. We played games in our tents too. The food was good and we ate some sweets too, as we celebrated three birthdays. The sand would enter our sleeping bags and the more you tried to take it out the more it would slide into the corners. We soon got used to it.
We envy the class fours who will visit it next year.
Manya Tandon, 5C

"All for one & one for all"

My “Freak Theory”- God

Atheism, as a philosophical view, is the position that either affirms the nonexistence of gods or rejects theism.I firmly believe in this view, and my belief is only strengthened by the fact that we live in a society that is everyday relying more on spirituality to explain things that science can quite easily prove.
I believe strongly in atheism simply because there is no proof that God exists or ever did. Taking our very own Ramayana into account, it is an accepted fact that giant talking monkeys cannot defeat evil demons with supernatural powers in hand-to-hand combat. To believe such a thing would be mere foolishness, yet everyday, millions of people in India offer prayers to the human being ram (with uncommon godlike powers, I might add), for leading a band of monkeys across an ocean, on a bridge of rocks, to fight a war with demons with powers far superior to theirs. What is the reason for such madness you might ask, well, as far as we know, there is no reason. Taking the example of the Holy Bible, it is believed that the man known as Jesus Christ did exist, but to believe the myths surrounding him would be nothing short of a modern miracle. Not only is the God theory incredulous, but it also tends to cause absolute mayhem. The crusades, The Gujarat Riots and the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center buildings: these were all incidents influenced by religious views, and led to disasters on both the international and national political scene. Simply following the philosophy of atheism would have prevented such calamities from occurring. Religion and spirituality have an extremely strong grasp on the modern man, and this is not an article requesting you to stop believing in what you believe in, but if we all need something to believe in - why not science? At least it makes sense.
Raghav Raizada, 10

 

 

A Day In The Life Of A Rose

The day began like any other bright, crisp and early. There was a chilly breeze blowing and it was freezing cold. I swayed atop my stem in the snowy lanes of New York and I knew I couldn’t live much longer. The rest of my batch were cut and were adorning someone’s living room. I shivered at the sight of trees passing away. I decided to make the most of today as my end was getting nearer by the second. It feels strange though, that I’m going to die in my prime, simply being a decoration in someone’s home or office or maybe on a hospital bedside table. Roses as you may know come in different colors and are used for different occasions. I am a red rose and since I have heard that Valentine’s Day is approaching, I know that my days are numbered. This is one time of the year when I and others of my species are in great demand by young and old lovers or lovers to be. So whether I end up on a school student’s desk or elsewhere, only time will tell…
Nirvaan Bharany, 6B
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Building Buzz

“No publicity is bad publicity” is the common belief amongst most actors, models, singers and the like. These days, filmstars are actually taking the literal meaning out of this phrase. In today’s industries, celebrities have become like sharks, ready to bite off any amount of limelight they can get - good or bad. For years, PR practitioners have argued that one of the best ways to garner publicity is to “go where the media is gathered.” Finding the press is the easy part, but turning its attention towards yourself or your company in a beneficial way takes strategy, chutzpah, and good fortune. When Janet Jackson performed at the Super Bowl in 2004, her suspicious “wardrobe malfunction” turned the eyes of the nation upon her, and the furor following the event put her prominently in the news. Whether or not Jackson planned the incident, it did get her all the media attention she could ever desire, and to the rest of the world, was a good example of a “publicity stunt”.
Recently, we all heard about the whole Manoj Kumar VS Om Shanti Om saga. The actor, who gave a new definition to patriotism on celluloid, says that the scene in Om Shanti Om where his young double is shown being beaten up by the police outside a theatre was done in bad taste. Manoj Kumar was ready to sue the makers because apparently it “hurt his sentiments”. It was not done in bad taste; it was healthy humor, like a tribute. He should’ve been happy that after almost decades of being out of the limelight, he was being mentioned somewhere. However, that much publicity wasn’t enough for him- so he went on to make a huge deal over it and attempted to make the whole nation feel sorry for him. But that didn’t happen, and his martyr act was just labeled yet another “publicity stunt”.
Remember the ‘little fix’ Akon got into? The rapper penned “Sorry, Blame It on Me” when sponsors pulled out of his tour after his raunchy on-stage dance with a 14-year-old girl, in a club that was supposed to cater to over-21s only. The lyrics include “I’m sorry for the hand that she was dealt / and for the embarrassment that she felt / She’s just a little young girl trying to have fun / But daddy should have never let her out that young.” Does he actually think that an illegal act like that can be forgiven just by a song? And when says “Daddy should have never let her out that young? What is he trying to say, that if she was older it would’ve been okay to misbehave with her? And why is he putting the blame on her poor unsuspecting father? “Even though the blames on you, I’ll take the blame from you”…Well buddy, you’re wrong! The blame is ALREADY on you! And by writing this song he just proved that he wasn’t “sorry”, the song was just a publicity stunt to show everyone he wasn’t the one at fault and was “taking the blame” because he’s such a gentleman. Publicity stunts get attention mostly because they are visual. People see for themselves the wacky or unusual feats being performed and by seeing them, they receive the message. Houdini could have hung upside down in the straitjacket from the entrance door of a building, but it would not have had the visual drama. Publicity stunts are meant to have the public as a witness. It doesn’t matter if by the end of it the persons involved are the laughing stock of the entire world, as long as it gets them on the tabloids.
Suvira Chadha

Class 10 Camp: Chamba

It all started off with the arrival of the Class Ten students in school, full of excitement and energy, ready for camp at Chamba. We left for the train station and were hardly able to contain our joy throughout the admittedly excruciating and long journey. When we reached the hills, the scenic views came into sight and thrilled us to the bone. We had finally reached Chamba. Upon reaching, to our dismay, we were divided into three groups (with seemingly original *cough* names- the Cats, the Ducks and the Tigers), separating us from our friends. Little did we realize then, that these groups would help us get to know people we hardly spoke to before and would make us appreciate them so much more. During the days, within these groups we went for several mountain activities such as Flying Fox, Burma Bridge, River Crossing, blindfold tent pitching and many more. Through these activities, we learnt to trust each other, and especially- trust ourselves. Every activity seemed to strengthen the bond we had created with friends old and friends new. The nights were reserved for ghost stories by the bonfire and roasting marshmallows, like every other year.
The activity will forever command a special affection in our hearts is the Land Expedition. It was a 6 hour-long trek to an area devoid of resources, where we had to pitch our own tents and cook our own food. The boys of our class also brought a heavy tree trunk for the bonfire. It really was a true test of survival in the wilderness. Though it was tough for almost all and we did face several hurdles, our friends, teachers and camp instructors made sure that we were able to overcome all the difficulties and have a great, memorable time. If help from one another didn’t manage to lighten some of us up- the fact that we were to receive certificates of merit for completing this trek sure did the trick!
We had such an exhilarating time, we didn’t notice how fast time had gone by and soon, we had to depart back to Delhi. With our belongings packed and ready to go, we said goodbye to the instructors and other helpers at the camp with the help of a little ‘presentation’ that each group (including the teachers) made. On the way back, we stopped at Rishikesh and attended the evening ‘Arti Ceremony’, but left soon after for the train station at Haridwar. The fun was not yet over as we had a long journey ahead of us and we were determined to make the best of it. We spent the night with our friends talking and eating our last crumbs of the bucket loads of tuck that accompanied us. When we reached school early in the morning, as delighted as we were to be home, we didn’t want to say goodbye to our friends and our second last camp. We will always look back at our cherished pictures, certificates and memories- to remember Camp Chamba as the camp that really did exceed our expectations; the camp where all the fun, laughter and stories will stay, forever embedded in our minds.
Tanvi Tandan, 10 C

The Book Trolley

1. Protector of the Small Quartet - Tamora Pierce
Set in an alternate universe called Tortall, this quartet is about the gritty struggle of a young yet stubbornly determined girl (Keladry of Mindelan) to become the first female Knight in the kingdom. Unaccepted by the Conservatives in social and political circles, this book is everything – a social, political fantasy drama with strong undertones of female empowerment. The characters are lovable, the laughs infectious and the story – unforgettable. A must read for every girl who wants to change the world.
2. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
A literary classic without the burden of complicated Victorian English yet with all the delicate intricacies of this particular brand of literature, Pride and Prejudice is perhaps the most well-known of all of Jane Austen’s novels. Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist is a strong and opinionated young woman who goes head to head with the seemingly arrogant and entirely vexing Mr. Darcy. A heartrending love story, it has a plethora of interesting characters, be it the match-making horror that is Mrs. Bennet, the air-headed younger sister, Lydia or the cunningly disguised fox, Wickham. To read this book is to understand the complexity of human relationships veiled beneath a beautiful and witty romance. I advise you DO.
3. The Black Book of Secrets – F. E. Higgins
A thriller of epic proportions, this book is a terrifyingly absorbing look into the world of a magician whose only aim is to help others. Moving into a small village, he starts a pawn shop and charges no interest. This, as expected, interferes with the local ‘evil’ landlord’s evil businesses. Thus begins a magically dark saga of how the magician incurs the wrath of the landlord. Or does the landlord incur the wrath of the magician…?
Ayesha Malik

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“You’re dyslexic, that’s why you’re thin!” Rishika Dhawan And
Anorexia is when you can’t read properly, right Rishika?
“Your brain… is brainless” Juhi Bahl
Genius, simply genius!
“How do you spell HDFC?” Shubh Mehra
' Trying for national spelling bee, are we?'
“It’s our school national dance” Ayesha Malik
Performed by the 'citizens of VVS'...
“What did I did?” Alaap Gandhi
A ‘Busted’, genius!

Taking the World by Storm

It’s a British Invasion once again. England seems to be making big waves in the music industry. It started off with Lilly Allen, with her alternative genre of music. With her famous single ‘Smile’, reaching first place on the U.K charts, and then her nomination at the Grammy’s, Allen has certainly made her mark among rising artists. But after her miscarriage in earlier this year, which led her split with Chemical Brother Ed Simmons, she sort of disappeared from the music scene.
Then came along a beehive headed, jazz singing surprise. You guessed it- Amy Winehouse. From battling drug addiction to her win of five Grammys, not to mention being the muse of several designers, the sultry Brit has had more than her share of media buzz. After these two controversial lasses, we’ve had a huge horde of talented artists, mostly females; Leona Lewis- dubbed to be the ‘Next Mariah’, out with the her hit single Bleeding Love, Estelle- with her stunning pipes and rhymes from West London, and many Indie Goddesses alike. Though it’s nothing new for the British Music Industry- dating back from the 60’s, there’ve been rock icons like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin- and they’re still keeping it Old School. Ringo Starr’s got his new album, Liverpool 8 out, and Page, Plant, and Jones recently reunited onstage in London. Princess Diana’s favourite- Duran Duran, Fleetwood Mac, led by the legendary Stevie Nicks, The Clash and The Police. Not to mention some current artists, like The Verve with the perfect Bittersweet Symphony, James Blunt and his chilling echo-like voice and Radiohead, out with their critically acclaimed album, In Rainbows.
All in all, British artists have taken the world by storm, and will surely continue to do so. After all, the Brits can do what the Americans can do so much better (even though that last line was just ripped off from Paris Hilton!)
- Vedika Berry

Salaam India

India, we love to tell ourselves, is a developing country, a country where development will one fine day eradicate all ills – social and political.
Yes, India is developing, our economy is booming and infrastructure is improving, but we haven’t really thought whether all this “development” has had any impact on society.
It may have improved the life of every middle-class family, but unfortunately the life of a Dalit or Harijan hasn’t changed one bit. They are still looked down upon by the so called “upper castes”, who consider themselves superior. Today, Indian women hold positions of immense power, but sadly female infanticide still prevails!
We need to stop and think whether development is really benefiting us as a society. Lushin Dubey’s play “Salaam India”, based on the book “Being Indian” by Pavan Verma, looks at how development has affected people from different classes of society and their views on modern India. Enacted by just four actors, the play uses an array of situations to effectively portray the theme. The play tells a story of what India really is. The story of a thirty- something woman getting married to a boy of her choice and being made to pay dowry, even in today’s “modern and developed” India, is a real eye opener.
After watching the play I continued to think about this particular incident, I realized that on being faced by such a situation we have two choices - We can either sit up and take action or promptly ignore the matter, dismissing it as the ‘Real India’ where such incidents, like child marriages and honour killings, are just another way of showcasing India’s strong traditional and cultural roots. Unfortunately, the truth is much starker and not so easily dismissed. What really stuns me is the fact that we let all this happen around us, even when we claim to be “modern”. The need of the hour is to not just see the impact development has on us and the economy, but to see the bigger picture – the impact it has on the mindset of the people and society as a whole. With the change in our economy and the development of our country, our thoughts need to progress too.
-Sanjana Malhotra

Visit to the Maruti Factory

The Business Studies students of class 12 visited the Maruti Udyog Factory in Gurgaon. We saw the way the cars were assembled from scratch and were shocked at the effort taken to provide safety and consumer satisfaction. We learnt about the contribution Maruti has made to development and economic growth in India and as well as fulfilling dreams of the people.
Maruti has successfully passed milestone after milestone and has sold over six and a half million cars over the past 23 years while observing environment laws throughout. Their plant was well maintained with state-of-the-art technology. Despite stiff competition from both domestic and foreign manufacturers, they hold 55% of the market share.
Maruti has also exported over more than four and a half lakh cars to over 100 countries, of which 65% of total exports are to the highly sophisticated and demanding markets of Europe.
It was truly an informative experience and the fact that they manage to roll out nearly 3 cars a minute (one every 21 seconds) is astounding and really makes one appreciate modern technology and the hard work put in by everyone working there.
- Akbar Iqbal

Editorial Board:

Mallika Pal, Ramya Ahuja, Suvira Chadha, Tejasvita Singh, Vani Shriya, Vedika Berry, Ayesha Malik, Devika Agrawal, Nikhil Pandhi, Sanjana Malhotra, Tara Sen, Akbar Iqbal, Avanti Gupta, Jahan Adil Nargolwala, Mahi Titus, Soumya Dasgupta, Tarunima Prabhakar
Editor: Diva Gujral