Apeejay’s IB School unveils its new torchbearers

A gentle breeze of anticipation swept through the campus as Apeejay’s IB School, Apeejay School International, Panchsheel Park, celebrated its much-awaited Investiture Ceremony for the academic session 2025–26. The event, held on September 19, 2025, was a vibrant confluence of tradition, pride, and youthful aspiration.      

The solemn proceedings began with the traditional lighting of the ceremonial lamp, symbolising knowledge and enlightenment. Present at the occasion were Ms Neha Sharma (Vice Principal), and distinguished members of the senior management team of the school. 

Anchored with poise by Ms Nitya Kapoor and Ms Riddhi Sharma, the ceremony unfolded with a soulful classical dance performance by young girls in elegant white attire. This was followed by a moving presentation from the school choir, which rendered I Have a Dream, filling the auditorium with harmony and hope. Parents, teachers, and students packed the venue, their joy and pride palpable throughout the morning.    

The heart of the event was the formal investiture of the student leaders. Ms Sharma pinned the senior school badges on Tani Bansal (Head Girl), Aaditya Nath Mathur (Vice Head Boy), Kayna Johari (Vice Head Girl), Yishika Gupta (President), Utkarsha Shankar (Secretary) and Arjun Sharma (Sports Captain), while Ms. Sameeksha Bhatt honoured the junior appointees Daniel Ashraf Talat Latif (Junior Head Boy), Shanaya Sharma (Junior Head Girl) and Daiwik Khandelwal (Junior Sports Captain).

The leaders then took their oath of commitment – “I do solemnly pledge that I will carry on the duties of my office faithfully, truthfully, and to the best of my abilities. I shall be obedient and respectful to my superiors, just and tolerant to my peers, and loyal to the school. I shall work for the honour of the school, place the interests of others before my own, and behave with dignity at all times. So help me God.”

“I do hereby invest you with your appointed grant and charge you to honour the pledge you have just taken,” the Vice Principal said. This was followed by the symbolic flag assignment, marking the beginning of their leadership journey. 

House Appointments: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air

The spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition came alive as the four Tribes—Fire, Water, Earth, and Air— were formally invested with their captains and prefects.

For Tribe Fire, Ms Nitya Kapoor pinned the badges on Ria Chadha (Captain) along with prefects Laavya Khanna, Aviraj Kapoor, Vivaan Verma, Sia Arora, and A. Nithik Roshan. Mr Atul Agrawal did the honours for Tribe Water, appointing Vaanya Saund (Captain) with prefects Liam George, Viaan Dua, Jaiwardhan Singh, Arnav Kumar, and Ariham Jain.

Tribe Earth was formally invested by Ms Sonali Wadhwa, with Bhavya Dugar (Captain) leading prefects Sanaya Ali, Suhina Khetterpal, Neal Verma, Ryan Khetarpal, and Smera Sachdeva. Finally, Ms Heena Ahmad conferred badges for Tribe Air, with Faraz Ahmad (Captain) joined by prefects Ira Vikram, Arisha Gudwani, Surya Kapil, Harshitha Khuurana, and Ada Bharati. Each tribe solemnly undertook its oath of allegiance, igniting the spirit of unity and responsibility.      

Recognition of the Editorial Team

The spotlight then shifted to the Editorial Board of the year, where Ms Sonali Saxena and Ms Kairvee Arora honoured Saanvi Sharma (Editor-in-Chief) along with her team of editors, Aahana Mathur, Aarush Chawla, and Ayddin Wani. The team pledged to uphold integrity and creativity in their journalistic duties.

     

Student Council Appointments

The wider Student Council was also formally inducted, with badges presented by Ms Monika Vasudev and Dr Anjali Singh to Vaanya Gupta, Aarya Nandwani, Vismaya Sreekanth, Vedant Sehrawat, Adiya Karimova, Himav Berlia, Aditi Hasija, and Rivan Berlia. Their oath-taking signified their readiness to lead their peers with accountability.  

Ms Sharma congratulated the appointees and urged them to lead with courage, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility. “The ceremony is not just about badges or titles; it is about responsibility, faith, and trust. True leadership is not defined by authority but by service, empathy, and vision. Great leaders inspire, listen, empower, and act with integrity while navigating challenges with courage. We live in a complex and uncertain world. As future leaders, you must be adaptable, resilient, and innovative — ready to think critically, embrace uncertainty, and act decisively,” she said. 

Head Girl, Tani Bansal, taking centre stage, shared her vision for the year ahead, speaking with confidence and grace. She extended her welcome to esteemed guests, parents, and students.  “Standing before you today is a moment of immense pride and gratitude. This honour is not merely a title but a responsibility I accept with humility, sincerity, and determination.

Leadership, to me, is not about privilege but service. A true leader stands with others listening, inspiring, and supporting,” she said.

At the school, we are guided by the values of the IB learner profile — to be principled, open-minded, and caring, she added. “My vision is to create an environment where every student feels valued, every voice is heard, and every effort celebrated. Together, we can build a school culture defined not only by academic excellence but also by kindness, resilience, and respect. To my fellow council members, I extend heartfelt congratulations. Let us lead with integrity and teamwork, remembering that leadership is about accountability and action. I promise to serve with honesty, empathy, and always place the school’s interests above my own,” Tani shared.

The ceremony concluded with a heartfelt Vote of Thanks delivered by Aaditya and Yishika. 

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone. We express our deepest appreciation to Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia, Chairman, Apeejay Stya & Svran Group, Chancellor Apeejay Stya University, and Chairman, Apeejay Education, for her unwavering leadership and vision. We are equally grateful to Mr Nishant Berlia, Co-Family Business Owner and Core Board Member Apeejay Stya and Svran Group, and Pro-Chancellor, Apeejay Stya University, Mr. Aditya Berlia, Co-Family Business Owner and Core Board Member of Apeejay Stya and Svran Group and Pro-Chancellor of Apeejay Stya University, and Dr Neha Berlia, Co-Family Business Owner and Core Board Member of Apeejay Stya & Svran Group and Pro-Chancellor of Apeejay Stya University, for their constant support. Our sincere thanks also go to Dr VS Garg, Education Advisor, Apeejay Education.”

Special thanks also went out to the Vice Principal and to all SMT members of the school, parents, Tribe Mentors, Form Tutors, Cultural, Decor, and Tech teams, and support staff for ensuring the success of this ceremony.   

The entire gathering rose in unison for the National Anthem, after which guests were invited for high tea, bringing the memorable morning to a graceful close.