26 ‘students’, now in their mid-60s, contribute 35 air conditioners as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of their batch
They returned to their alma mater school after 50 years, a spark in their eyes and bounce in their steps. ‘Students’ from ‘A’ section of the 1975 batch of pass-outs, men and women from all walks of life now in their mid-60s, congregated at the oldest and most prestigious government model school in Chandigarh, Govt Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16 (Estd. 1954), to share a gift which the school will remember for all times to come.
It was a landmark occasion on last Friday (April 11, 2025) as all classrooms and other major facilities, like hall, computer lab and library, went completely air-conditioned, a facility only a handful of government schools nationwide can boast of, thanks to 35 Nos. of 1.5 tonne Hitachi inverter air conditioners gifted by the batch celebrating its golden jubilee and got installed.
Apart from the gift of air conditioners, the batch honoured 14 schoolteachers who had taught the batch at different times (now retired) and shared gift hampers with them and all the 2700-plus students and support staff of the school like sweepers, gardeners, peons, etc.
Sticking to a uniform dress code with peach-coloured t-shirt and generally blue jean or pant, and supporting a cap, the 20-plus enthusiastic male and female ‘students’ of the ‘A’ section of the 1975 batch gathered in the school compound with gas-filled balloons in their hands and were warmly welcomed by well turned out boy scouts, girl guides and tiny-tots dressed as angels, who lined both sides of the passage created for the honoured guests.
The balloons were gleefully released in the air after a formal cake-cutting ceremony performed by the batch members and their teachers in the presence of chief guest for the occasion UT Chandigarh Education and Engineering Secretary Prerna Puri, school Principal Bhavneet Kaur and school Coordinator Sheetal.
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After the chief guest formally switched on an AC in one of the classrooms, nostalgic moments were witnessed as the ‘students’ enacted their school time routines like wishing ‘Good Morning Ma’am!” in chorus. Antics followed with the ‘students’ raising noise in the classroom while enacting a break between classes and two of the ‘naughty students’ of their time Sanjeev Mehta and Arvinder Singh performing the ‘murga’ punishment before their former teacher.
The honoured guests of the day were entertained with cultural performances by teams of the school’s existing students. The fun-filled day culminated with a sumptuous lunch.
According to well-known city businessman Arvind Jain, who helmed the initiative, their batch was 36 students strong when it passed out in 1975. A few of them unfortunately died during this 50 years journey. Out of the remaining 30-odd, all the 26 who could be reached participated in this initiative to pay back to the school which had given them so much.
The participating ‘students’ of section ‘A’ of the batch of 1975 are all well-placed people in various spheres of life, including entrepreneurs/businessmen, professionals, bureaucrats, and educationists. Half a dozen of them are NRIs from US and Canada, who made it a point to be here especially for the batch’s golden jubilee celebrations.
While everyone chipped in with their voluntary contributions for the effort, the lion’s share came from Sanjiv Goyal, Chairman & Managing Director of Nectar Lifesciences Limited (NLL), one of the country’s top ranked midsized pharmaceutical companies.
Among the honoured teachers (now retired) who taught the Class of 75 at different times are RP Dewan, Brahmjit Kalia, Mrs HK Saini (whose daughter Bhavneet Kaur incidentally in the current principal of the school) and Mrs Usha Khullar.
