Students swear to rise above challenges on 103rd birth anniversary of Dr Stya Paul

With zest, fervour and great enthusiasm, Apeejay School, Nerul recently celebrated Founder’s Day. The occasion was a glorious remembrance of Dr Stya Paul, the beloved Founder-Chairman of Apeejay Education Society.  He was an eminent educationist, industrialist, freedom fighter and philanthropist who laid the firm footing for the emergence of Apeejay Stya Group and Apeejay Education.

On this day, the school paid tribute to Dr Stya Paul’s determination, hard work and spirit of excellence. He rose from humble beginnings and overcame physical disabilities to become one of the most respected men of the nation. He showed the path of excellence to many and devoted his life towards achieving his goals.

A special morning assembly with an extravaganza of activities was conducted in the school in his honour. All activities held were designed to contribute towards the all-round development of young Apeejayites.

The programme commenced with a soulful prayer as the school pledged to walk the path shown by Dr Stya Paul. This was followed by a floral tribute to his photograph by the school fraternity. Further, students sang his favourite rendition of bhajans.

A message by the Chairperson of Apeejay Education, Madam Sushma Paul Berlia, was read out to the students by Regional Director- Academics (Mumbai) Mr. Rakesh Joshi. It summarised how Dr Stya Paul possessed the valuable qualities of fearlessness and love for truth which stood him in good stead as he pioneered the Apeejay Stya Group into an industrial conglomerate, and the Apeejay Education Society (which is a Social Commitment of the Group) into one of the most respected and successful educational organisations of India. He highlighted how Dr Stya Paul envisioned and engineered the transformation of society through value-based learning, man-making and nation-building.

Mr. Joshi also said, “Today, we celebrate both what our Founder- Chairman, Dr Stya Paul, was and the values he stood for. So, let’s together uphold his legacy of excellence that he has left behind and strive to achieve our goals.”

The celebrations also included an exhilarating dance performance by pre-primary students on peppy Punjabi songs. Shortly, student representative Nadaa Ahamed shared a thought-provoking speech with the gathering. The school’s academic coordinator, Mrs. Shakuntala Singh, also spoke about the inspirational life of Dr Stya Paul.

Then, students of primary and middle wing enthralled the audience with an inspirational dance drama and graceful performance reflecting the values of perseverance and endurance. The school also declared and felicitated the recipients of the Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values. This honour is bestowed on students who have showcased good morals and ethics throughout the academic year. Priyanshi Mahajan, Annika Anand, Tanisha G Chaplot, Anaya Mahakalkar and Nandini Ravishankar bagged the award.

The winners of Apeejay Talent Search Examination scholarship were also announced in the ceremony.  This scholarship is awarded by Apeejay Education to meritorious candidates of classes 9 to 12 for their creditable performance. This year 11 students secured the position and students Aryan Gehlot and Arnav Akshay Bhate became the overall toppers.

Concluding the event, the school Head Boy, Girik Subhudi, proposed a Vote of Thanks. The programme ended with the singing of the National Anthem.