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Celebration Speech on 15 September 2012


Indus, Bangalore recently celebrated an extraordinary phenomenon, it has been ranked as the best international school in all of India within a short span of nine years. The ascent has been breath-taking and spectacular. Mountaineers conquer peaks to conquer themselves and cleanse their inner self. That is the sensation and exhilaration that prevailed at our celebration.

Success has come not because of sprawling campuses; or because of reputation. We were competing with international schools as old as 150 years, with larger campuses, well proven systems and processes, and decades of branding.

I offer three explanations of how this came to be.

First, this evening's celebrations is a vindication of the purpose of education we espouse at Indus. We believe that schools must prepare students to deal with the challenges of a future we do not know, a future that is uncertain, turbulent, and unpredictable. We believe that the purpose of education is also to create engaged citizens who think global and act local. Localism is a pre-condition for globalism. We cannot become world citizens at the cost of losing our cultural identity.

Second, the school redefined what success is. Each one of us is capable of becoming much more than what we are, provided we put in the effort. The question we must ask of ourselves is that did we give our best? Success is therefore not winning; success is the effort we put in. Winning is a by-product. The only competition is with ourselves. Indus Bangalore is, therefore, not competing with 150 other international schools in India; it is competing with itself. That is what excellence is about. That is why success is becoming a habit.

Third, coming Number 1 in India is an affirmation of Mrs Sarojini Rao's dynamic leadership. She is the game-changer with powerful leadership qualities. A role-model for teachers and students in all Indus schools, she leads from the front with very high visibility, and lays down exacting standards. Also compassionate and empathic towards the poor and suffering, She has inspired her team to give their best, and to accept nothing but the best and this is most commendable.

The daunting thought that looms large in everyone's mind is that having come first, how does one sustain this kind of success? I say to Mrs Sarojini Rao and her gallant team, that this is least of your worries. The question is not how will we sustain our ranking? The question is: did we give our best. In the end it is the effort that matters. In life what matters is not whether we won or lost; what really matters is how hard we tried. Did we stand-up for the values and cause we believed in?

(This is the essence of the message brought to newly elected Leaders of The Indus Student Council at Bangalore, by Lt. Gen. Arjun Ray (Retd.), CEO of the Indus Trust on the occasion of The Ceremony of Investiture on January 26th, 2012)

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Date: 03/29/2024

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