The Scindia School, Gwalior: Photos

Like the cells make the fundamental structure of a living body the House system of The Scindia School forms the DNA. The twelve Houses follow certain common norms yet each manages to establish and maintain a very special identity of its own. The identity often does not change over several generations of students and teachers who become part of the House. ‘House’ in The Scindia School is not just a building but an entity with a soul of its own. The personality of the Housemaster is usually reflected in everything that a House stands for. We have four Houses in Junior School and eight in the Senior School. The alumni remain very strongly attached to their Houses all their lives.

The Scindia School houses students from all corners of the world and provides a caring, friendly and well-structured educational environment. With a special emphasis on holistic development, we value students who are intellectually curious and creative. We mentor them towards attaining academic excellence with co-curricular activities, and responsibility towards the environment integrated into the learning process. The efforts are to remain abreast with the latest in the field of education, keeping the academic program contemporary and rigorous at all times.

The Scindia School is dotted with 14 full-fledged playing fields spread across its over 160-acre campus. The school provides a matrix of intra- and inter-school sports activities. In the Junior Section, depending upon the season, boys undergo training in all major team games. From Class VIII, the students are encouraged to specialize in a sport, according to their inclination and also based on the suggestions of the expert Coaches for at least one whole year. However, the boys are encouraged to play inter-house tournaments and participate in other sports as well. In Athletics, and in the Cross-country race, along with the highly competitive sections, the school also has a popular non-competitive section to encourage mass participation. Every student on an average plays two hours of sports every day. An ‘early rise’ fitness programme of scientifically planned set of exercises and yoga keeps the boys ‘healthy and agile’. Further, the school has a mission that every Scindian must be a swimmer. Traditional Indian games such as Kho-kho and Kabaddi are celebrated at the annual sports gala. The teacher in charge of the event occasionally also introduce Indian fun games such as Pitthhoo, Gilli Danda, or kite flying. Junior students go for trekking during Camps. They are also trained for rock climbing, jumaring, and rappelling on rocks around the Fort.

There is a School level Mess Committee, which consists of Student Representatives, Housemasters, Resident Medical Officer, Mess Manager, Bursar, Vice Principal, and the Principal. The committee is responsible for day-to-day Mess activities, ensuring a nutritious diet, and hygiene, and maintaining discipline in the Mess. Although wholesome meals are served every day, yet the grand Scholars’ and Sports banquet, held in the honour of outstanding scholars and sportsmen, remains the high point of the Dining Hall calendar. Aside from the main meals, fresh fruits, snacks and milk are served in the forenoon at 11, and after games in the evening. Outside the Dining Hall, school Cafeteria facing the Oval field, is a favourite hangout on Sundays. The schoolboys feast on a variety of culinary choices, in a setting of animated discussions and fun.

The Scindia School was the first school in the country to include IT in its curriculum. The first four boys who appeared for the CBSE Class XII computer exams were from the school. The IT facility has grown exponentially over the years- from 19 computers in 1996, the school now has a contemporary data centre, and almost 300 desktops. Campus wide computer networks enable students to access the internet, to research, and to use e-mails, all with their individual ‘scindia.edu’ domains. ‘Smart Campus Cards’, and a biometric fingerprint scanner system, are used extensively for everyday campus life, through an Educational Resource Planning ERP solution. The ready availability of computers, the assistance of the school staff, and the availability of the NIIT faculty, ensure that every boy from The Scindia School is tech-savvy. The Scindia School is the first school in Asia to have an on-campus agreement with Microsoft. In 2004, the school received the President’s award for the Best IT Infrastructure at the state level. The NFO study of 33 Indian schools through an independent agency rated The Scindia School as leading in 39 out of a total 43 criteria.

The Scindia School has a well-equipped health center: The Golden Jubilee Hospital. Each student is provided with a medical card. A resident doctor, two nurses and other support staff are available round the clock. It has the main patient hall with 16 beds, and one air-conditioned room should there be a need to quarantine a patient. The infirmary also has a medical store. A child's health, timely and specialized treatment being of prime concern, the school has engaged a panel of specialists from Gwalior city to handle emergencies. There are also tie-ups with the best equipped Nursing Homes in the city, should the need arise.

Swimming has always been popular with the students. The Scindia folklore has many a tale about boys swimming in the Rani Taal in years gone by. Since the 1940s the School has a 25m Swimming Pool which remains open throughout the year, except in winters. The facilities are regularly upgraded to match modern demands.

The School has two centrally air-conditioned Shooting Ranges, each with five targets. These are inarguably the best ranges in any school in India. The school has 5 imported pistols and 5 imported rifles. The boys are provided a special kit to wear during shooting. Two resident coaches train and groom the shooters with personalized tracking. After long training sessions the students compete for the Champion of Champions title. To complement these, the school also organizes clinics, the most recent being by ace shooter Dr Rajpal Singh. Since Shooting demands stability, calmness and micro-coordination, hence yoga and meditation form an important part of the training regimen. Stretching and slow running helps boys develop stamina and withstand long hours of practice. The schoolboys regularly take part in IPSC, MP State, Pre-Nationals, Nationals and All India Inter School Competitions and have been bringing laurels to the school.

The Scindia School was the first school in the country to include IT in its curriculum. The first four boys who appeared for the CBSE Class XII computer exams were from the school. The IT facility has grown exponentially over the years- from 19 computers in 1996, the school now has a contemporary data centre, and almost 300 desktops. Campus wide computer networks enable students to access the internet, to research, and to use e-mails, all with their individual ‘scindia.edu’ domains.

The equestrian programme is a special feature that greatly excites the young Scindians. Experienced Instructors train the boys for dressage, show jumping, tent pegging and various other skills. The school riders put up impressive displays on ceremonial occasions, apart from excelling in hard core sporting competitions. The boys also develop a bond with the animal they ride. The Riding programme is run through a trainer, and a stable of over 10 well-tended horses.

The boys aim high, both literally and figuratively, in Basketball. The rivalry between the Houses assumes passionate form in Basketball. This sport is played at three levels in school; Junior Houses and Senior Houses Group A and Group B. Teams participate in the IPSC championships and other open tournaments such as the Afzal Khan Memorial Tournament at The Doon School. The school Basketball infrastructure consists of two synthetic courts with acrylic boards, equipped with hydraulic rings. There is another court with movable rings. Players get to practice with both rubber and leather balls, that as are used in tournaments. The school has a part time coach who plans basketball drills and training strategies to help players develop strength, speed, power and endurance. Step by step instructions help develop strong fundamentals and basketball skills. The boys undergo weight training at the fitness center, and also use medicine balls, skipping ropes and go for hill running.