Learning from the Karmayogi: Apeejay gathers to fondly remember its Founder-Chairman, Dr Stya Paul, on his 12th Punya Tithi

The life of Dr Stya Paul, the Late Founder-Chairman of Apeejay Education was exemplary. An eminent industrialist, educationist, philanthropist and freedom fighter, he laid the foundation of the Apeejay Stya Group and Apeejay Education to instill quality education and excellence amongst the youth of the country.

A visionary ahead of his time, Dr Stya Paul was instrumental in making the Apeejay Group the biggest industrial house of independent India. With courage, self-reliance and an enduring vision, he set up not-for-profit educational institutions across the country. To celebrate his life achievements and remember him on his 12^th Punya Tithi, dignitaries, educators, staff members, students and teachers came together at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park’s school auditorium on June 07, 2022.  

The solemn ceremony began with the lighting of the lamp. The entire fraternity of Apeejay paid a floral tribute to the visionary leader. Senior Education Advisor of Apeejay Education, Dr V.S. Garg, Chief People officer, Ms. Anjana Nath, Education Officer, Ms. Ritu Mehta, School Principal, Mr. Sandeep Singh Kathuria, and Vice Principal, Mrs. Shalini Aggarwal were present during the occasion.  

The music department of the school sang his favourite bhajans to invoke his blessings. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kathuria said, “Today we bow our heads in reverence to look at the journey of Dr Stya Paul, a multi-dimensional figure, eminent educationist and successful industrialist. In his life, he was responsible for several important positions which reflects his versatility, leadership and standing in the industry and social circles. He helped the physically-handicapped and the needy as well as provided educational/vocational opportunities to many, thus enabling them to join the mainstream. 

Adding further, he said, “Dr. Paul was fondly called, ‘Dadaji’ by pre-primary students. A spectacular quality about him was to reward any student promptly who displayed his/her talent(s) to him. This is because Dr Stya Paul valued excellence and was a brilliant scholar and ardent learner himself. He was keenly interested in spiritualism, philosophy, arts and culture.”

Mr. Kathuria also said, “Dr Stya Paul is an inspiration, his thoughts and philosophies live till today. As members of the Apeejay family, we endeavour to follow his path of learning and self-righteousness with utmost diligence and sincerity.”

After the address, students showcased visuals and videos from Dr Stya Paul’s life. He could be seen with an endearing smile as he interacted with students and congratulated them on their achievements. He was also spotted with several national figures such as Ms. Indira Gandhi. In the short clip, he could be seen receiving several accolades for his significant contribution towards man-making and nation building.

Dr Garg who had worked closely with Dr Stya Paul for fifteen years shared several anecdotes about the late Founder-Chairman’s foresight. He said, “I consider myself fortunate and honoured to have worked with him. Till the age of 90, Dr Stya Paul worked relentlessly to better the lives of people. He had a remarkable memory and was hardworking. Despite facing so many challenges in his life, he kept going and never gave up. He started Apeejay with a small school near his residence in Tanda Road, Jalandhar with 4 children. Today, the same has transformed into 28 campuses of schools and higher educational institutions with more than 30,000 students and 5000 teachers.”

Speaking about Dr Stya Paul’s faith in learning, he shared, “He commended values and encouraged students to become a good human being above all. He believed in simple things, one-on-one interactions and community connect. Even at that time, he was careful about conserving the environment and paid extra attention to each and every aspect of building word-of-mouth associations. Due to his efforts, Apeejay students became frontrunners in every competitive examination in the country, be it medicine, engineering or management. The best of faculty and teachers have been part of Apeejay. Dr Paul’s exemplary generosity and kindness earned him name and respect which was spoken of by many.”

The ceremony concluded with the bhajan – ‘Raghu Pati Raghav Raja Ram’. It filled the atmosphere with a divine aura. 

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