Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya: Promoting service, heritage and enterprise

– Nishi Misra, Principal, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya

Inaugurated in 1956 by the late President Rajendra Prasad, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya (SKV) was founded by Gwalior dynasty matriarch Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia with the objective of nurturing and developing women leaders for newly-independent India through progressive education rooted in our traditions and values. 

Leading by example, Rajmata’s daughters Princess Padma Raje and Princess Usha Raje were enrolled in the inaugural batches of the all-girls boarding school. SKV prides itself in being the alma mater of children of notable national leaders such as two granddaughters of the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Moreover, children of consuls and statesmen were drawn to the school by its high quality of education. Over the years, SKV’s campus has evolved into a vibrant community of students hailing from across the length and breadth of the country and from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. 

Housed in 35 acres of lush greenery, the school is a serene haven with a vibrant ambience. Education at SKV has empowered generations of girl children who have gone on to become independent, responsible and confident young women in all walks of life, from IAS officials to models, writers, sports persons, principals, politicians and more. To this day, the students address their teachers as “Didi” – sister, which is uncommon in public schools which are fast accepting the more global “Ma’am”.  

Service, Heritage & Enterprise: The three pillars of SKV

Service: Students are nurtured to become compassionate human beings by extending a helping hand to touch the lives of those less fortunate. Under the ‘Sankalp’ project, our students have set up an industrial unit to manufacture low-cost sanitary napkins which are distributed free of cost to underprivileged girls and women. Besides, regular visits to schools for the blind and homes for the elderly and other NGOs, they also engage in construction of school buildings and toilets in villages that have no schools.

 

Heritage: At SKV, we are deeply involved in the preservation and propagation of our heritage. Every year we host our Shrimant Madhav Rao Scindia Dharohar festival inviting girl students from across the country to participate in competitions organised around a theme which encapsulates a specific period of Indian history or an Indian state. They then research on the performing and visual arts, culinary arts and built heritage of the theme. A prize of Rs 1 lakh is awarded to the top performing school, to be spent on advancing the cause of heritage studies in their own school.

This is indeed an opportunity for girls who, we believe, are the caretakers and torch bearers of traditions from household, to society at large. Heritage Fest is an attempt to sensitise, protect, revive and promote our glorious inheritance so that our children securely pass the heritage to future generations. The participating schools celebrate this legacy and revel in the richness of our culture every year in the form of Dharohar – heritage fest for girls.

Enterprise: The students of SKV have launched successful start-ups by creating end-to-end business plans. They have established a unit for the manufacture of sanitary napkins in Jarga village, organised the women of the village into self-help groups and raised funds for buying the machines.  The business plan also covered the marketing and financial aspects. Our Business Incubation Centre regularly trains students to give wings to their business ideas. 

It is best said as S.H.E is SKV!

Also read: Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior

About the author:

An alumna of Allahabad University with valuable teaching and admin experience in St. Mary’s, All Saints and Sherwood College — all in Nainital — and former headmistress of Vidya Devi Jindal School, Hisar, Nishi Misra is principal of the all-girls boarding Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior (estb. 1956), consistently ranked among India’s Top 3 girls boarding schools in the annual EW India School Rankings.