In talks with Vidya Bharati Alumni Dr. Chaman Chandel, Scientist, DRDO on value system of Vidya Bharati Schools

School - Sharda Sarvhitkari Model Sen Sec. School, Sector 40-D Chandigarh 

DRDO or  Defence Research and Development Organization is an agency of the Indian Government, charged with the military's research and development.

Dr. Chaman Chandel has been a scientist in the organisation for more than a decade.Being an Alumni of Sharda Sarvhitkari Model Sen Sec. School, Sector 40-D Chandigarh, Dr. Chandel states that Vidya Bharati in general, and his school in particular played a pivotal role in shaping his intellect today. This is what he had to say to us in a short telephonic interview.

Interviewer - What role has Vidya Bharati in general and your school in particular played in shaping you as a human being, that you are today?

Dr. Chandel - The primary mode of education used in most Vidya Bharati Schools is in mother tongue, which would be Hindi for me. Although the organisation has English medium schools under it, I have been educated in Hindi till Class X. This helped in the development of an independent thought, whereby we could learn and understand the applications of what we studied more easily. It also aided in initiating a sense of inquiry, as we could apply in real life situations, all that we had understood, especially in a subject such as mine (Science), instead of just mugging definitions up.

Interviewer -   What has inspired you to stay connected with your school and Vidya Bharati, in spite of having a busy schedule?

Dr. Chandel - I come from an ordinary (middle-class) family. Once it so happened that we had to go on a tour from school. I did not inform my family about it, but being friendly with all my classmates, decided to go anyway. However, not telling my family and having limited resources meant that I did not have the money to pay for the tour. The teachers and  authorities, somehow realising the situation, exempted my tour fees. Although I ended up not going on the trip (even when my family came to know about it and offered to pay for it), I came to an important realisation after the incident. The teachers in Vidya Bharati make special effort in engaging with their students and staying connected with them, which is reciprocated in a similar way. I maintain the same connection till today.

Interviewer -  What message would you like to give to your school, Vidya Bharati and the students?

Dr. Chandel - To the students, I would like to say that you in the perfect hands. Follow your school’s teachings and you will be going in the right direction.

To my school, I would say that you are the one who has given me direction. I am grateful to you for that. I will continue to stay connected, as I am now, but I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for whatever you have given me till now.

To Vidya Bharati, I would like to say this, the fact that you provide education and social service to the whole society, without discrimination or selfish motives, is a very big deal. This is a product of a broad imagination, and a liberal thought. I applaud you for this.

Vidya Bharati Purv Chatra Parishad is  thankful to Dr. Chandel for taking timeout from his busy schedule and sharing his views with us. He is a person who the role model to many students from his school.

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