The Doon School, Dehradun is deemed as one of the topmost boarding institutions for boys in India. Here are some notable facts about the prestigious school.
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1. The school was founded by Satish Ranjan Das, a Kolkata-based lawyer and advocate general of Bengal, who in 1927 became a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council of Lord Irwin.
Before becoming a member to this council, he raised a condition that he would use his position to raise funds for a new type of school in India.
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2. Modeled on the idea of a British public school, it caters to Indian mindsets.
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3. The first headmaster of the school was Arthur E. Foot, an Englishman who spent nine years at Eton College, England before coming to India.
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4. Doon is sometimes referred to as the ‘Eton of India’ as people believe that Arthur Foot carved it along England’s elitist colleges Eton and Harrow.
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5. The school is a member of G20 schools and Round Square group.
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6. This year the school turns 80!
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7. Unlike schools which are named after its founder or some great leader, this school is named after the valley in which it is situated. How cool is that!
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8. The influence of England at Doon is extended to the weekly master’s meeting which is called ‘Chambers’ and evening prep which is called ‘Toye-time’.
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9. It boasts of Vikram Seth, Kamal Nath, Manpreet Singh Badal, Karan Thapar, Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia among its famous alumni.
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10. The school specializes in all boys’ boarding education for pupils aged 12-18.
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11. It claims itself to be probably the only ‘All-India School’ which receives applications from almost every state each year and from NRIs as well.
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12. Apart from a healthy educational environment, the school also provides options for complete wellness solutions and a regular counselling sessions to its students.
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13. It is affiliated to ICSE and ISC board, and, recently in 2007, started offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma along with ISC which is helpful for students planning to study abroad.
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14. The Doon School Old Boys Society is responsible for bringing close its alumni or ‘Dosco’. It also publishes its magazine called ‘The Rose Bowl’.
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15. The ‘House system’ prevalent here is divided into seven which is further sub-divided into junior and main houses.
Two junior houses- Foot and Martyn take in boys in their first year to assist them settle in new environment after which they head to the four main houses- Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kashmir, Oberoi and Tata which are named after the patrons who funded them at school’s inception.
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Oberoi house
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16. Doon has consistently been ranked the best residential school of India by media such as BBC, The Times of India and Outlook.
17. It lives by its motto- ‘Knowledge our light’.
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