‘Let’s together dream to make India a Vishwaguru,’ says Dr. Anil Jain, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

The Former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam rightly said, “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep.” And, truly a dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it requires sweat, determination and hard work to become a reality.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. And, all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. To instill the spirit of hard work in students and celebrate their achievements, Apeejay School, Saket held its Annual Appreciation Day on November 19, 2022. The Chief Guest of the day was Dr Anil Jain Hon’ble Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha from BJP and National President – AITA (All India Tennis Association). The Guest of Honour was Dr. Sambit Patra, National Spokesperson of BJP and Chairman, India Tourism Development Corporation. Shri Amaan Ali Bangash, a renowned
sarod player was the special invitee for the event.

The memorable evening began with a warm welcome to the guests and gathering by students and the school’s Principal, Dr. Sujeet Eric Masih. He along with other members of the Apeejay Education presented plant saplings to the guests. This was followed by the lighting of the lamp ceremony to evoke the blessings of the Almighty amidst a soulful rendition of shlokas.

Themed ‘Dreams – The essence of being alive’, the annual day witnessed participation of around 650 students and their parents. Commencing the event, the school’s orchestra showcased a melodious harmony of ‘sur’ and ‘taal’ with a blend of classical and contemporary music. Their ‘Karwaan-e-Saaz’ was simply synchronised to perfection!

Soon after, Dr. Masih addressed the gathering. He said, “Today, we are here to celebrate the milestones and accomplishments of our school and students. Surely, we have come a long way. We started the school in 1988 under the leadership of Late Dr. Stya Paul, Chairman at Apeejay Education and Apeejay Stya and Svran Group, Saket borrows from a rich legacy of Apeejay’s institutions pan-India.”

Highlighting its vision and mission, he continued, “Dr. Stya Paul envisioned to provide quality education of global dimensions leading to man-making and nation-building. Today, his dream is a living reality. His light continues to bless us all in our endeavours. At present, sir’s legacy is carried forward by his only daughter, Chairperson Mrs. Sushma Paul Berlia, a leading woman entrepreneur and educationist. Apeejay enjoys over five decades of excellence in education and the Group has grown from strength to strength. I would also like to thank Mr. Nishant Berlia, Co-Promoter Apeejay Stya and Svran Group and Pro-Chancellor, Apeejay Stya University, Mr. Aditya Berlia, Co-Promoter of Apeejay Stya and Svran Group, Co-Founder and Pro-Chancellor, Apeejay Stya University and Dr. Neha Berlia, Co-Promoter, Apeejay Stya and Svran Group, for providing us the necessary infrastructure and facilities to put up this show.”

He then welcomed Dr. Jain and Shri Ali Bangash along with school’s alumni, Mr. Aditya Bhalla, Founder & Technical Director at Aeroganics to the event.

Showcasing the school’s Annual report, Dr. Masih stated that Apeejay, Saket was ranked No.1 by Education Today this year. It stands as one of the top 3 institutions in Delhi as per Times School Survey of 2021. The school’s canteen also bagged the Rashtriya Poshan Samman 2022. Further, in the field of academics, the students of the school have left no stone unturned during the previous year. “From scoring a high percentage of 97.4 to cracking nation-wide competitive exams such as IIT, NEET and JEE, these learners have shone and made their teachers proud,” he said. Other achievements included Tennis championships, ATSE scholarships, and Taekwondo state awards, just to name a few.

“All of these have been made possible only due to the collaboration of parents and the spirit of innovation instilled in our students,” Dr. Masih added. The school has also put in place state-of-the art infrastructure, laboratories and technology-based centers. In the past year, programmes such as Learning Walk, Udaan, Impulse, Chunauti, Math Quest, Dakshakta Padak Samaroh, Interact Club activities and other national and international Olympiads provided students the platform to display their talent.

Dr. Masih accompanied by the guests, then distributed student awards for academic excellence and extra-curricular activities. Sharing his words of wisdom on this momentous day, Chief Guest Dr. Jain said, “Anyone can dream and anyone who has made it big has once only dreamt of it. Similarly, Dr. Stya Paul, the late Founder of Apeejay Education once dreamt to teach. And today, we can see that come alive as Apeejay Group is committed to the pursuit of education and each year educates nearly 40,000 students in the country. This wasn’t easy because Dr. Stya Paul’s life was filled with hardships but he never allowed those to hamper his progress. So, my advice is, dream! The world needs such people who dream big!”

Exemplifying the same thought, he further stated, “Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, Chanakya, Chandra Gupta, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, all these thought-leaders dreamt of an ‘Akhand Bharat’. They kept working for it and collectively preserved our national integrity. Therefore, bear in mind that to succeed in life, desire, belief and expectation must go hand-in-hand.”

Dr. Jain also spoke about our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to make India No.1 in the world. Through nation-wide campaigns such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Digitisation, he has brought people together and ensured their financial inclusion across the country. “Contributing to the same, I further encourage all to contribute towards making India a Vishwaguru. On our 100^th national anniversary, let’s dream to make this a reality through our hard work, efforts and determination. We must pledge to give back to our society and work for India.” Sharing a similar sentiment, Dr Patra conveyed words of encouragement for the students. He said, “May the sun of success rise for you. Please work hard for the progress and development of our nation. My best wishes!”

After this, Shri Ali Bangash along with the school’s Principal took to the stage to present Dr. Stya Paul Awards for Human Values to the students. Sharing his thoughts, Ali Bangash ji said, “My only advice to students is to always respect their parents, teachers and elders. I once said to my father, ‘abba! There is a lot of competition in the world. What should I do? To this, he replied, ‘Your only competition is a person who is more humble than you.’ So, work with humility and set sights on the stars. One day, you will surely make it.”

Based on dreams and the power of imagination, students put forward an array of power-packed performances. They transported the audiences to a magical world filled with hope. Students showcased the glorious years of India and the lives of national thinkers, scientists and innovators who dreamt and made it big through their contributions.

The grand finale of the show witnessed all students, teachers and staff in tandem celebrating their achievements on the school’s song. Concluding the event, Ms. Ritesh, academic coordinator proposed the Vote of Thanks. She thanked all the parents, teachers, students, members of Apeejay Education and guests for a delightful evening.