Modern School is a co-educational, private school in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

, India. It was founded in 1920 by Lala Raghubir Singh, a prominent Delhi-based businessman and philanthropist, who desired an institution that combined the "best of ancient Indian tradition with the needs of the times." It was the first private and coeducational school established in Delhi after the capital of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

shifted to the city. The school's first principal, Kamala Bose, was a vigorous advocate of educational reform in India. Her founding vision, coupled with Lala Raghubir Singh's nationalist leanings, gave the school a liberal and indigenous character that stood in contrast to colonially-inspired

public schools Public school may refer to: *Public school (government-funded), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging private schools in England and Wales *Great Public Schools, ...

, which were intended for Indian aristocracy. The school motto is "''Nyaymatma Balheenien Labhya''," which translates to "Self-realization cannot be achieved by the weak". Modern School enrolls about 2,500 pupils, most admitted directly from its junior branch, the Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School. Students write the

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national-level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

examinations in the tenth grade, and the

All India Senior School Certificate Examination The All India Senior School Certificate Examination or AISSCE also known as Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE or Class 12 Board Exams, is the final examination conducted every year for high school students by the Central Board of ...

(AISSCE) in the twelfth grade. Modern School, Barakhamba Road is consistently ranked well among Indian schools. The primary branch attended by students through Grade 5 – Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School – was established in 1961 on a separate campus on Humayun Road, New Delhi. Although primarily a coeducational

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children are given instruction during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compared to a regular s ...

, the school provides campus housing for boys.

History

Origins

The founder, Lala Sundar Pandit Singh, was born in 1895 and educated by William W. Pearson, a Protestant educator. Lala was an established engineer and philanthropist and astronomer from the community. His father, Sardar Sultan Pandit Singh, an accountant and banker (''khazanchi'') with the

Imperial Bank of India The Imperial Bank of India (IBI) was one of the oldest and the largest commercial banks in India, and was subsequently renamed and nationalised as the State Bank of India in 1955. Initially, as per its royal charter, it acted as the central ba ...

, was well-regarded by both the British and the Indian aristocracy. At the time of WW2 the Japanese had made it a military camp, destroyed by British Army. A sister school, Modern School, Vasant Vihar, was established in

South Delhi South Delhi is an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India with its headquarters in Saket. Administratively, the district is divided into three subdivisions, Saket, Hauz Khas, and Mehrauli. It is bounded by ...

in 1975. Three additional National Capital Region campuses have since been established in

Kundli, Haryana Kundli is a town and municipal council in Sonipat, in Sonipat tehsil of Sonipat district in the Indian state of Haryana. As of 2017, it had a population of 100,000. It lies on Western Peripheral Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway and ...

Faridabad, Haryana Faridabad () is the most populous List of cities in Haryana by population, city near NCT of Delhi in the Indian state of Haryana and a part of National Capital Region (India), Delhi National Capital Region. It is one of the major satellite citie ...

, and

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh Ghaziabad () is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and a part of Delhi NCR. It is the administrative headquarters of Ghaziabad district and is the largest city in Western Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 1,729,000. Ghaziaba ...

Principals

Reflecting its founder's pan-India vision, Kamala Bose, the school's first principal, was recruited from

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

(now Kolkata). Bose championed the need for better educational facilities in a country shaking off its colonial yoke, noting, "If the education imparted to the people has been seriously lacking in quantity, it has been still more sadly wanting in quality."

The crest

Designed by the artist Sarada Ukil, a teacher at Modern School in the 1920s, the school crest signifies the circle of eternity crossed by the three elements in human development: body, mind and spirit, as the sun shines between the triangle and the circle. Inside the triangle, there is a

banyan A banyan, also spelled banian ( ), is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adjacent prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as ...

tree to represent stability and firmness of character, the swan and the lotus represent refinement, culture, and the arts which are fundamental elements of progress in life.

Golden Jubilee Hostel

The school has a student dormitory capable of housing 69 boys.

Houses

In keeping with its nationalist origins, the school's

house system The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. The school is divided into units called "houses" and each student is allocated to on ...

honours significant figures in the history of India, namely

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

, Azad,

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...

Kalam ''Ilm al-kalam'' or ''ilm al-lahut'', often shortened to ''kalam'', is the scholastic, speculative, or rational study of Islamic theology ('' aqida''). It can also be defined as the science that studies the fundamental doctrines of Islamic fai ...

, Lajpat,

Laxmibai Lakshmibai or Laxmibai is a name. It can be both a feminine given name and a surname. Notable people with this name include: Given name * Lakshmibai Newalkar (1828–1858), consort of the Maharaja of Jhansi, a princely state in what is today Utta ...

Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a prin ...

Patel Patel is an Indian surname or Indian honorifics, title, predominantly found in the States and union territories of India, state of Gujarat, representing the community of land-owning farmers and later (with the British East India Company) busine ...

, Pratap,

Ranjit Ranjit can refer to: * Ranjit Singh (disambiguation) **Ranjit Singh (1780–1839), First Maharaja of the Sikh Empire **Ranjit Singh of Bharatpur (1776–1805), ruler of the Bharatpur princely state in Rajasthan, India **K. S. Ranjitsinhji (1872–1 ...

Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri (; born Lal Bahadur Srivastava; 2 October 190411 January 1966) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1964 to 1966. He previously served as Minister ...

Shivaji Shivaji I (Shivaji Shahaji Bhonsale, ; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680) was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the ...

, Subhas,

Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

, and Tilak.

School activities

Clubs and societies

Extracurricular activities are a compulsory element of school life at Modern. The school magazine, ''Sandesh'', is published each school term in English and Hindi (its sister publications include the ''Vasant Prayag'' at Modern School,

Vasant Vihar Vasant Vihar is a diplomatic and residential sub-division of the New Delhi district of Delhi, India. It is located near the diplomatic area of Chanakyapuri, and houses over 50 diplomatic missions of foreign countries, including the High Commissio ...

, and ''Prayas'' at Modern School, Kundli). There are around twenty clubs and societies, including photography, aero-modelling, drama, painting, sculpture, community service, carpentry, Dance, music, senior and junior English debating societies, economics, astronomy, computer science, physics, and robotics. In many societies pupils come together to discuss a particular topic, presided over by a faculty member and often including a guest speaker. The school has often invited prominent figures to give speeches and talks to the students; these have included heads of state, politicians, ornithologists, naturalists, artists, writers, economists, diplomats, and industrialists. The Modern School Leadership lecture series invites prominent alumni to address the school assembly twice every school year. Major clubs include The Lenskraft Photography Club, The Quiz Club, Model UN Society, Environment Club, Bits 'N' Bytes (The computer club), Debating Society,

Interact Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and pe ...

SPIC MACAY The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth, abbreviated as SPIC MACAY, is a voluntary youth movement which promotes intangible aspects of Indian cultural heritage by promoting Indian classical music, clas ...

, Mudra Dance Club, SAPTAK and the Commerce Society. Modern School is also a leading member of the

Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN (MUN), is an educational simulation of the United Nations, which teaches students about diplomacy, international relations, global issues, and how the United Nations is run. During a model UN confe ...

and its biennial ModMUN conference is one of the biggest in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

attracting as many as 900 international students for the 2016 conference. Due to its size, prestige, and popularity, it is considered the largest student organized MUN in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Bits 'N' Bytes is one of the oldest school societies dating back to 1988. It organizes ACCESS, an annual tech symposium, in the month of December. In 2013, the society won the TCS IT Wiz and simultaneously celebrated its Silver Jubilee. The Debating Society is very active during the school year, as it hosts the Raghubir Singh Inter-school Debate, the Pratap Singh Inter-school Debate, and usually helps organize the Annual MSOSA Inter-school Debate. Interact Club (affiliate club of Rotary International's service club for students between the age of 12–18) was inaugurated in 1983 by the then vice-president of India,

Muhammad Hidayat Ullah Mohammad Hidayatullah (; 17 December 1905 – 18 September 1992) was an eminent Indian jurist, scholar, linguist, educationist, writer and statesman who served as the acting President of India on two different occasions. He previously served a ...

, and has since grown into a prominent school society. Its activities include donations to orphanages, recycling drives, ant-piracy drives, and an annual blood donation camp. The club has been awarded a certificate in recognition of its services to the community by

Chief Minister of Delhi The chief minister of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the head of government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. According to the Constitution of India, the lieutenant governor is the National Capital Territory of Delhi's ''de ...

Sheila Dikshit Sheila Dikshit () (née Kapoor; 31 March 1938 – 20 July 2019) was an Indian politician. The longest-serving chief minister of Delhi, as well as the longest-serving female chief minister in Indian history, she served for a period of 15 year ...

. Interact Club nominates some of its students to be selected by Rotary International for its international program to represent

as ambassador of goodwill to neighboring countries such as

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. The selected students stay as guests with families who participate in this international youth exchange program. SPIC MACAY, a national society for the promotion of Indian classical music and culture amongst youth, organizes a SPIC MACAY week every school term. Past performers include Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma,

Ustad Bismillah Khan Ustad Bismillah Khan (born Qamaruddin Khan, 21 March 1916 – 21 August 2006), often referred to by the title ''Ustad'', was an Indian musician credited with popularizing the shehnai, a Reed (mouthpiece), reeded woodwind instrument. His virtuos ...

Sonal Mansingh Sonal Mansingh (born 30 April 1944) is an Indian classical dancer and Guru in Bharatanatyam and Odissi dancing style. She has been nominated by the President of India to become a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. She is the recipient of Padm ...

Sitara Devi Sitara Devi (born Dhanlakshmi; 8 November 1920 – 25 November 2014) was an Indian dancer of the classical Kathak style of dancing, a singer, and an actress. She was the recipient of several awards and accolades, and performed at several prest ...

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (born 9 October 1945) is an Indian classical ''sarod'' player, best known for his clear and fast ekhara taans. Khan was born into a classical musical family (the Bangash lineage of the Senia Gharana) and has performed ...

Hari Prasad Chaurasia Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is an Indian music director and classical flautist, who plays the bansuri, in the Hindustani classical tradition. Early life Chaurasia was born in Allahabad (1938) (present day Prayagraj) in the Indian ...

, and

Birju Maharaj Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 17 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj fa ...

. Other events organized include ''Cyclotron'' (the annual inter-school physics symposium) and ''Unquestionably Modern'' (an annual quiz competition).

Model UN

Modern School is also a leading member of the

and its annual ModMUN conference is one of the biggest in Asia attracting as many as 1000 international students for the 2016 conference. Due to its size, prestige, and popularity, it is considered the largest student organized MUN in

Affiliations

Ties with other schools

From its foundation in 1920, Modern School housed classes from Montessori to Grade 12. This ended in 1961 when Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School was established on Humayun Road as the school's primary wing. In 1975, Modern School, Vasant Vihar was founded as the first sister school under the leadership of Mr. Ved Vyas, a well regarded Hindi teacher at Modern School, Barakhamba Road. Similarly, in 2014, another sister school was established in Kundli under the directorship of Mrs. Neelam Puri, a former junior headmistress at Modern School, Barakhamba Road. In its early years the school also shared a close relationship with St. Stephen's College, Delhi. The school has exchange programs with a number of overseas schools. As of September 2012, a small number of Modern School students were attending

Brisbane Grammar School Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) is an Independent school, independent, fee charging, non-denominational, day school, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, Queensland, Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Austra ...

, Australia;

Malay College The Malay College Kuala Kangsar (abbreviated MCKK; ; ) is a boarding school, residential school in Malaysia. It is an all-boys and all-Malay people, Malay school in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak. It is sometimes dubbed "the Eton College ...

, Malaysia;

St. George's Girls' School St. George's Girls' School is an all-girls secondary school in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Originally established in 1885, it is notable for its academic achievements and notable alumnae from different racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds ...

, Malaysia; Clifton School, South Africa; and

Peddie School The Peddie School is a non-denominational, coeducational college preparatory school located on a campus in Hightstown, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA that serves boarding and day students in the ninth through twelfth grades, as well as po ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, United States. Other schools include

The Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' ...

and New Oriental School of Foreign Languages in China, Liebigschule Gießen in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Philippine Science High School The Philippine Science High School System is a research-oriented and specialized public high school system in the Philippines that operates as an attached agency of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology. The Philippine Science High ...

in the Philippines, SMA Negari 4 Denser School in Indonesia, Chua Chu Kang Secondary School in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

, and

Dominion High School Dominion High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. Dominion High School first opened in 2003, receiving students from Potomac Falls High School and Park View High ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States. Since 2010, Modern has twinned with Chua Chu Kang Secondary School, Singapore under the Twinning Program. It is also a part of ISA, UKIERI, and Australia India Collaboration. Modern also collaborates with The Collegiate School, Richmond,

, in organizing the Community Development and Leadership Summit and the International Emerging Leaders Conference.

Schools with similar names

"Modern" is commonly used in the names of several unrelated Indian schools.

Memberships

The Modern School is a member of the

Indian Public Schools' Conference Indian Public Schools Conference was established in 1939. The Indian Public Schools are an independent and private institutions of secondary education. Top notch boarding and day-cum boarding and the Sainik and Military Schools form part of this s ...

(IPSC), National Progressive Schools' Conference (NPSC), Round Square Conference and the

(CBSE).

Public image

Modern in Films, Television, and Theatre *In Shekhar Kapur's 1983 film '' Masoom'', Rinky (

Urmila Matondkar Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films, in addition to Telugu cinema, Telugu, Malayalam cinema, Malayalam, Marathi cinema, Marathi and Tamil cinema ...

) and Minni (Aradhana Srivastav) are wearing Modern School uniforms in two scenes. *The radio station exteriors in the 2006 Bollywood film ''

Rang De Basanti ''Rang De Basanti'' () is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language epic coming-of-age socio-political drama film written, produced, and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The film stars an ensemble cast including Aamir Khan, Siddharth (in his Hindi d ...

'' were shot at Modern School, Barakhamba Road. *Rajendra Theatre was used for

Albert Brooks Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein; July 22, 1947) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1987 comedy-drama film '' Broadcast News' ...

' stand-up performance sequence in the film ''

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World ''Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World'' is a 2005 American film starring and directed by Albert Brooks. It was shown at the Dubai International Film Festival. Synopsis Albert Brooks, a Jewish-American comedian, is asked by the United States g ...

''. *In ''

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Produc ...

'', the lead characters Kabir Thapar, played by

Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the re ...

, and Naina Talwar, played by

Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone (; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films. She is India's highest-paid actress, as of 2023, and List of awards and nominations received by Deepika Padukone, her accolades include thre ...

, are scripted as Modernites. They talk about their school days at Modern School, Barakhamba Road during the first half of the film. *In ''

Hindi Medium ''Hindi Medium'' is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Saket Chaudhary and produced by Dinesh Vijan, Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar under their respective banners Maddock Films and T-Series. The film s ...

'', the protagonist Raj, played by

Irrfan Khan Irrfan Khan () (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 196729 April 2020) was an Indian actor who worked in Indian cinema as well as British and American films. Widely regarded as one of the finest actors in world cinema, Khan's career spa ...

, is trying to help his child get admitted to the (fictitious) Delhi Grammar school, which is portrayed at Modern School's campus; however, the name is avoided. Several scenes of the film were shot at the school's premises. Modern in Literature *

Khushwant Singh Khushwant Singh FKC (born Khushal Singh, 2 February 1915 – 20 March 2014) was an Indian author, lawyer, diplomat, journalist and politician. His experience in the 1947 Partition of India inspired him to write '' Train to Pakistan'' in 1956 ( ...

recounts his experiences being amongst the first batch of Modernites in his autobiography ''Truth, Love and a Little Malice.'' He also recollects many a school tale in ''Notes on the Great Indian Circus''. *In

Chetan Bhagat Chetan Prakash Bhagat (born April 22, 1974) is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, and YouTuber. He was included in ''Time (magazine), Time magazine’s'' list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010. Several of his nove ...

's,

Half Girlfriend Half Girlfriend is an Indian English coming of age, young adult romance novel by Indian author Chetan Bhagat. The novel, set in rural Bihar, New Delhi, Patna, and New York, is the story of a Bihari boy on a quest of winning over the girl he l ...

, the female protagonist, Riya Somani, is a Modernite.

Notable people

Alumni

Pupils of Modern School have gone on to achieve prominence in politics, government service, the armed forces of India, commerce, journalism, literature, academia, and the fine and performing arts. They include a prime minister, several Cabinet and Chief Ministers, numerous members of the Indian Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies, high-ranking military officials, of which include two Chiefs of Air Staff, and several ambassadors. The best-known alumna is

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

. In fact, Modern School has educated several members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Rahul Gandhi Rahul Rajiv Gandhi (; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician. A member of the Indian National Congress (INC), he is currently serving as the 12th leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and as the member of the Lok Sabha for Rae Bareli Lok ...

and

Priyanka Gandhi Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (''née'' Gandhi; born 12 January 1972) is an Indian politician who is serving as the member of the Lok Sabha for Wayanad, Kerala, since November 2024. A member of the Indian National Congress, she is also serving as a ge ...

, children of former

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian statesman and pilot who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, assassination of his mother, then–prime ...

and

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

President

Sonia Gandhi Sonia Gandhi (, ; ; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress, a big-tent liberal political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independence history. ...

, attended Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School before enrolling in St. Columba's School and

Convent of Jesus and Mary The Convent of Jesus and Mary ("CJM") is a network of Roman Catholic schools founded by the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary. The school network originating in east-central France in the 19th century has since its inception expan ...

respectively. Similarly, cousin

Varun Gandhi Feroze Varun Gandhi (born 13 March 1980) is an Indian politician who has been a three time Member of Parliament for Lok Sabha from the Pilibhit constituency. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and was inducted into Rajnath Singh's t ...

, son of

Sanjay Gandhi Sanjay Gandhi (14 December 1946 – 23 June 1980) was an Indian politician. He was a member of the Lok Sabha and was the younger son of Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi. During his lifetime, he was widely expected to succeed his mother as head ...

and Maneka Anand Gandhi, completed his primary schooling here. Notable Modern School alumni have held senior positions in Indian politics, bureaucracy, and judiciary, these include

Sanjay Kishan Kaul Sanjay Kishan Kaul (born 26 December 1958) is a former judge and lawyer who served as a judge of the Supreme Court of India since 2017 until upon his retirement in 2023. He has served as the first puisne judge, senior-most after the Dhananjaya ...

, former Chief Justice of the

Madras High Court The High Court of Judicature at Madras is a High Courts of India, High Court located in Chennai, India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry. It is one of ...

Madan Lokur Madan Bhimarao Lokur (born 31 December 1953) is an Indian jurist. He is Chairperson, United Nations Internal Justice Council. He is former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He is also a former chief justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court ...

, Supreme Court Judge, Mukul Rohatgi, former

Attorney General of India The Attorney General for India is the chief legal advisor of the Government of India. The Attorney General is appointed by the President of India at the instance of the Union Cabinet under Article 76(1) of the Constitution and hold office du ...

, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, Governor of West Bengal and Bihar, Kamlesh Sharma, Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and

Amitabh Kant Amitabh Kant (born 1 March 1956) is a retired member of the 1980 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) batch, the All India civil service of the Government of India. He served as India's G20 Sherpa from 8 July 2022 till 16 June 2025. He is an Ind ...

, chairman of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project. In the defence services, Modern Alumni include

S.K. Mehra Air Chief Marshal Surinder Kumar Mehra (15 November 1932 – 8 December 2003), PVSM, AVSM, VM, was the Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air Force from 1 August 1988 until 31 July 1991. He was born in Delhi. Early life He was born in Delhi o ...

and

P.C. Lal Air Chief Marshal (India), Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal, Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom), DFC (6 December 1916 – 13 August 1982) was the Chief of Air Staff (India), Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF ...

, both former Air Chief Marshals of the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

. In the field of journalism and literature, Modern boasts stalwart

as alumni.

Arun Shourie Arun Shourie (; born 2 November 1941) is an Indian economist, journalist, author and politician. He has worked as an economist with the World Bank, a consultant to the Planning Commission of India, editor of the ''Indian Express'' and ''The Time ...

, former Cabinet Minister, former

Member of Rajya Sabha A Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (abbreviated: MP) is the representative of the Indian states to the upper house of the Parliament of India which is known as "Rajya Sabha" (constitutionally "Council of States"). Rajya Sabha MPs are e ...

, former editor of ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...

'', Barkha Dutt and

Raghav Chadha Raghav Chadha (born 11 November 1988) is an Indian politician and a member of the Aam Aadmi Party, who is serving as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian parliament. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha by the Punj ...

, of the

Aam Aadmi Party The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP, ) is a List of political parties in India, political party in India. It was founded on 26 November 2012 by Arvind Kejriwal and his then-companions, following the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement against then gover ...

, are also Modern alumni. Modern alumni have also made a mark in sports and entertainment. Golfers

Daniel Chopra Daniel Samir Chopra (born 23 December 1973) is a Swedish professional golfer. Early life Chopra was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He represents Sweden and his mother was Swedish, but his father was Indian and Daniel moved to India at age seven w ...

, Shiv Kapur, and

Gaurav Ghei Gaurav Ghei (born 25 September 1968) is an Indian professional golfer who plays on the Asian Tour. He turned professional in 1991. His wins include three Asian Tour titles: the 1995 Gadgil Western Masters, the 2006 Taiwan Masters, and the 2007 B ...

, cricketers

Kirti Azad Kirtivardhan Bhagwat Jha Azad (; born 2 January 1959) is an Indian politician and former cricketer, who played seven Test matches and 25 One Day International for the India national cricket team between 1980 and 1986. Azad was a member of the ...

Unmukt Chand Unmukt Chand (born 26 March 1993) is a former Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed top order batsman who currently plays for the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket, and the Melbourne Renegades in Australia's Big Bash League. He ...

, and

Gautam Gambhir Gautam Gambhir (born 14 October 1981) is the Head coach of the Indian cricket team. He is also a former international cricketer, former politician, and philanthropist. He played for India in all formats of the game between 2003 and 2016. He w ...

, tennis players

Vishal Uppal Vishal Uppal (born 10 November 1976) is a tennis player from India. He participated in the Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and c ...

and Karan Salwan, shooter Samresh Jung, and chess grandmaster

Tania Sachdev Tania Sachdev (born 20 August 1986) is an Indian chess player, who holds the FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is a two-time Indian women's chess champion in 2006 and 2007, one-time Asian women's chess c ...

are all ex-Modernites. In the arena of fine and performing arts, Modern alumni include

Yamini Reddy Yamini Reddy is a Kuchipudi ''Kuchipudi'' ( ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roo ...

Kuchipudi ''Kuchipudi'' ( ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit ...

dancer, Abhay Sapori, Santoor maestro and music composer, film actress

Amrita Singh Amrita Singh (born 9 February 1964) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Hindi films. Singh made her acting debut with '' Betaab'' (1983), and established herself as a leading actress of the 1980s and early 1990s. Singh appeared as a leadi ...

Amjad Ali Khan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (born 9 October 1945) is an Indian classical ''sarod'' player, best known for his clear and fast ekhara taans. Khan was born into a classical musical family (the Bangash lineage of the Senia Gharana) and has performed ...

and his sons Ayaan and

Amaan Ali Khan Amaan Ali Bangash (born 1977) is an Indian classical musician who plays the sarod. He is the son of Amjad Ali Khan and often performs with his younger brother Ayaan Ali Bangash, with whom he hosted the music talent show ''Sa Re Ga Ma Pa''. In ...

, Sarod exponents and music composers,

Geeta Kapur Geeta Kapur (born 1943) is a noted Indian art critic, art historian and curator based in New Delhi. She was one of the pioneers of critical art writing in India, and who, as ''Indian Express'' noted, has "dominated the field of Indian contemp ...

, art historian, art critic and daughter of former principal, Mr. M.N. Kapur, actors

Sanjana Sanghi Sanjana Sanghi (born 2 September 1996) is an Indian actress and model who works in Hindi films. She made her acting debut as a child artist in the 2011 film '' Rockstar'' and after appearing in a few supporting roles, she had her breakthrough w ...

Mallika Dua Mallika Dua (born 18 July 1989) is an Indian comedian, actress and writer. Dua shot to fame with the viral video of ''Shit People Say: Sarojini Nagar Edition'', which was written, styled and enacted by Dua herself. She is the daughter of Padma S ...

Priyamvada Kant Priyamvada Kant is an Indian actress, writer and the winner of MTV Splitsvilla Season 12. Career Priyamvada Kant debuted as Kaumudi with ''Bairi Piya (TV series), Bairi Piya'' in 2010. She worked as negative character Payal in 2011 ''Hamari Saa ...

Arjit taneja Arjit Taneja (born 10 November 1992) is an Indian television actor and model. He made his television debut with the reality show '' Splitsvilla 6 '' and starred in several TV fictional shows like ''Kumkum Bhagya'', '' Kaleerein'', ''Bahu Begu ...

Karan Soni Karan Soni (born January 8, 1989) is an Indian-American actor and comedian. Often appearing in comedic roles, he came to prominence for playing Dopinder in the films '' Deadpool'' (2016) and its sequels '' Deadpool 2'' (2018) and '' Deadpool & ...

, and

Alok Nath Alok Nath (born 10 July 1956), also known as Sanskaari Babuji, is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema and television. He made his film debut with the 1982 English (and Hindi) film ''Gandhi'', directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, ...

, filmmaker

Shekhar Kapur Shekhar Kulbhushan Kapur (born 6 December 1945) is an Indian filmmaker. Born into the Anand-Sahni family, Kapur is the recipient of several accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a National Film Award, a National Board of Review Award and three F ...

, conservationist and wildlife photographer

Aditya Dicky Singh Aditya 'Dicky' Singh (May 1966 – 6 September 2023) was an Indian wildlife conservationist and wildlife photographer. Career Singh was educated at the Modern School, Barakhamba in New Delhi. Singh had a bachelor's degree in civil engineering ...

, and beauty pageant winner Ekta Choudhry.

Naresh Trehan Naresh Trehan (born 12 August 1945) is an Indian cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon. After graduating from King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India, he went on to practice at New York University Medical Center, Manhattan, USA f ...

, surgeon and chairman of

Medanta Global Health Limited, d/b/a Medanta, is an Indian for-profit private hospital network based in Gurgaon. The chain was started in 2009 by cardiac surgeon Naresh Trehan and Sunil Sachdeva. History In 2004, cardiac surgeon Naresh Trehan bega ...

, Noshir Minoo Shroff, eye surgeon, Aditi Shankardass, Neuroscientist, and

Arvinder Singh Soin Arvinder Singh Soin is an Indian surgeon and the Chief Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgeon & Chairman of the Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta-The Medicity. Known for his work in the field of liver tra ...

, liver transplant surgeon, represent Modern School alumni in the life and medical sciences. In business,

Rajat Gupta Rajat Kumar Gupta (; born ) is an Indian-American business executive who, as CEO, was the first foreign-born managing director of management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company from 1994 to 2003. In 2012, he was convicted of insider trading and ...

, former managing director of

McKinsey and Company McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Founded in 1926 by James O. McKinse ...

and one of the founders of the

Indian School of Business The Indian School of Business (ISB) is a private business school with campuses in Hyderabad and Mohali, India. It offers various post-graduate management programs. History The Indian School of Business (ISB) was started in 1996 by a bunch of b ...

Gurcharan Das Gurcharan Das (born 3 October 1943) is an Indian author who wrote a trilogy based on the classical Indian goals of the ideal life. ''India Unbound'' was the first volume (2002), on artha, 'material well-being', which narrated the story of Ind ...

, former CEO of

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...

, and Surinder Mehta, founder of Prime Group and a

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

awardee are Modern School alumni.

Faculty

* Sarada Ukil, artist, actor, and art teacher at Modern School, Barakhamba Road *

Ramkinkar Baij Ramkinkar Baij ( (25 May 1906 – 2 August 1980) was an Indian sculpture, sculptor and painter, one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture and a key figure of Contextual Modernism. Early life and career Baij was born in an economic ...

, widely known as one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture taught at the school *

Sukumar Bose Sukumar Bose (12 May 1912 – 10 November 1986) was an Indian artist based in Delhi who was trained in the tradition of the Bengal School under Asit Kumar Haldar. Career In 1932 aged 20, Sukumar Bose was appointed art teacher at the Modern Sch ...

, noted artist following in the tradition of the Bengal School of Art, taught art at the school through 1947

Modern School Old Students' Association

Modern School Old Students Association (''MSOSA'') brings together alumni. With over 15000 members, MSOSA has engaged in cultural and sporting activities to raise funds for supporting philanthropic activities, contributing to national causes including Kargil war relief in 1999, Gujarat earthquake relief in 2001, and tsunami relief in 2004. The Modernites Trust, MSOSA's philanthropic arm, provides merit scholarships to under-privileged students.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.modernschool.net/
Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School website

Modern School, Vasant Vihar website

Modern School, Education City, National Capital Region (ECNCR)

Modern School Old Students' Association website

The Modernites Trust
Private schools in Delhi Boarding schools in Delhi Educational institutions established in 1920 1920 establishments in India New Delhi

History

Origins

Principals

The crest

Golden Jubilee Hostel

Houses

School activities

Clubs and societies

Model UN

Affiliations

Ties with other schools

Schools with similar names

Memberships

Public image

Notable people

Alumni

Faculty

Modern School Old Students' Association

See also

References

External links