Modern School, Barakhamba Road, Delhi

With the rise of Indian nationalism, educationist Lala Raghubir Singh promoted MSBR in 1920 to combine “modern liberalism with the best Indian traditions Somdev Thakur

SPRAWLED OVER 25 VERDANT ACRES IN the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi, the CBSE-affiliated Modern School, Barakhamba Road (MSBR, estb.1920) has enhanced its reputation as the national capital’s pioneer day-cum-boarding school over the past 95 years. In the EducationWorld India School Rankings 2014, this high-profile school venerated by the Delhi establishment, is ranked #4 all-India and #2 in Delhi in the category of day-cum-boarding schools.

Promoted in 1920 with an enrolment of six children, the co-educational MSBR currently has 2,560 class VI-XII students including 850 girl students and 100 boarders instructed by 125 teachers, on its muster rolls. The school’s feeder primary (K-class V) on Humayun Road was inaugurated in 1961 and boasts 1,700 students mentored by 65 teachers. Moreover in 1975, in response to demands of the rapidly expanding population of the national capital and growing reputation of MSBR, a full-fledged K-12 affiliated school was established in Vasant Vihar which currently has an enrolment of 2,200 students and 100 teachers. Another branch (K-X) in Kundli, Sonepat admitted its first batch of students last academic year.

“The Modern School was promoted almost a century ago with the objective of providing upper primary and secondary education rooted in Indian values and traditions combined with best education practices of the West. Merit and excellence are our watchwords and service to humanity our motto. Our goal as it was a century ago, is to produce well-rounded and confident individuals ready to assume leadership positions in the country and anywhere in the world,” says Dr. Vijay Datta, an alumnus of Rajasthan University and Regional Institute of Education, Ajmer, who served as dean of Mayo College, Ajmer (1990-2011) and principal of Army Public School, Dagshai (2011-2014) before being appointed principal of MSBR in June last year.

Over the past nine decades, MSBR has successfully nurtured a host of distinguished alumni including renowned journalist Khushwant Singh, distinguished pilot Air Marshal P.C. Lal, legal luminary Justice B.N. Kirpal, prominent sarodist Amjad Ali Khan, accomplished filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor, doctor extraordinaire Naresh Trehan and outstanding cricketer Gautam Gambhir.

MSBR had idealistic beginnings and its history is linked with India’s freedom struggle. With the rise of Indian nationalism and the swadeshi movement, Lala Raghubir Singh, a well-known Delhi-based educationist, together with a small group of friends (including Sardar Sobha Singh, the legendary builder who constructed Lutyens’ Delhi) promoted Modern School in 1920 as an experiment combining “modern liberalism with the best Indian traditions”. They envisioned a new class of Indians with broad outlook and non-subservient mindsets.

Initially housed in a residential bungalow in Daryaganj, MSBR moved to its present site in 1933 and over the years the school’s campus has sprouted numerous buildings. Currently its expansive campus distinguished by its red brick main block and sub-divided into neatly laid out hockey and football grounds, offers contemporary academic, co-curricular and sports infrastructure. They include 47 IT-enabled Smart classrooms, science, math and language laboratories, computer resource centres, two libraries hosting 20,000 print volumes and journal subscriptions, an audio-visual room and CD library.

Sports facilities include an olympic-size swimming pool; six tennis and basketball courts; a gymnasium with table tennis room; squash courts; a 400 metre athletics track and large hockey, football and cricket grounds. Moreover, to realise the best potential of its students, the school offers a full complement of co-curricular activities including dance, music (vocal and instrumental), art, Batik, sculpture, ceramics, woodwork, photography, and paper technology. Last November a science park was inaugurated. Unsurprisingly, MSBR was ranked #1 all-India on the parameters of co-curricular and sports education in the EW India School Rankings 2014.

MSBR’s comprehensive education model has favourably impacted academic outcomes with its students consistently recording above average results in board exams. In the class XII CBSE exam last year, 27 MSBR students were included in the top 0.1 percent nationwide merit list published by CBSE, while the 412 students who wrote the exam averaged 83.1 percent.

Having consolidated its position as one of Delhi’s — and India’s — top-ranked schools, the MSBR management is determined to continuously improve its holistic education model. “While examination outcomes are important, we accord equal emphasis to integrated development of our students and continuous in-service teacher training. Our institutional goal is to create an inclusive environment where we don’t present a life of tests for students, but prepare them for the test of life,” says Datta.