‘I am a true blue Apeejayite’

As an academically sound and well settled man, he believes in outshining himself in whatever he chooses to do. Meet Dr Mukul Garg, an alumnus of Apeejay School, Pitampura from the batch of 2002. In a candid interview, he recalls his glorious legacy that he left behind at school.

Tell us about yourself

After completing school, I did my MBBS from Government Medical College, Nagpur and then I did my MBA in Marketing from IMT, Ghaziabad. I have worked in clinical research with Max Healthcare. At present, I am settled in Delhi with my family and own a packaging business.

What does a typical day look like?

My day starts at 6 am, getting the kids up and ready for the school. After that, I and my wife go for our morning walks and exercises. By 10 am, I leave for work. My office hours end by 7 pm. After coming back, I spend time with my kids, helping them with their school work or playing games with them. By 11, its lights out.

Tell us about your school life.

I have had an extremely varied school life as I studied in three different schools. But I believe the years spent in Apeejay School, Pitampura were the most formative for me. I was always a studious kid, and did reasonably well academically. But life at  Apeejay was much more than studies. I was surrounded by a great group of friends and peers and highly motivating teachers. For a kid, it was the happiest school life ever, for which I will always be grateful.

Share a few nostalgic memories from Apeejay.

The carefree time spent with friends amidst all the competitive academics is missed to this day. But there were some definitive moments that are etched in memory. The inter-school competitions where I got to perform in plays and skits and the creative arts periods were exhilarating. I was lucky enough to leave behind a legacy, as I was part of the student delegate sent to Nehru Planetarium for a telescope making workshop, which was later proudly presented to our Physics lab.

How were the teachers at Apeejay?

I believe the teachers at Apeejay are its most treasured asset. I will forever be indebted to teachers here as they contributed a lot to whatever I am today. Not only are they responsible for my academic achievements, but they helped me be the best version of my  teenage self. Even today whenever I meet them, I am filled with warmth and gratitude.

What is your dream and goal in life?

I have very simple goals in life. I just aim to lead a peaceful life with my family, and wish to keep learning new things till I am alive! I believe I have been blessed with much more than I deserve, so I wish to strive my best to become a good enough person who deserves to be happy! That’s it!

Any message for the students of the school.

Well, both my kids are studying in Apeejay School, Pitampura right now. I appreciate that the school strives so hard to inculcate the values and principles in them. So for the students, my message is the same as it is for my own kids. Be your most authentic selves. Work hard and appreciate whatever resources you have been given; there are so many out there who are struggling to stay alive. You are all lucky to be at the right place at the right time.

Your comments on the brain drain trend.

Honestly, I think brain drain is a thing of the past now. With the world becoming a level playing field for India, we have as much talent entering our country as leaving it. As for those leaving this country for better opportunities, so many of them have made our country proud in foreign lands. So many of them have learnt new things and have come back to give back to the people here.

How did Apeejay help you hone your skills?

As I said, Apeejay pushed me to excel both in academics and in life skills. It added so many dimensions to my teenage personality by giving me opportunities to learn and shine, to be bold and brave, to be curious and competitive. To this day, I thank my parents for enrolling me to this school. I hope my kids will also feel the same when they pass out from this school.