Modern Senior Secondary School

Modern Senior Secondary School runs under the aegis of Saraswati Vidyak Trust. This is a private, unaided educational institution, affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) New Delhi vide Affiliation No - 1630583 and School Code - 25345.

This institution has been serving this historical city with sincerity and dedication ever since its inception on the 9th January, 1948, when Sardar Mohan Singh, the Author of Saraswati Vidyak Trust, founded the school with a far reaching vision to serve the cause of education in an innovative manner. At that, time the older schools continued to cling to the tradition of separate education for boys and girls. The city needed an independent co-educational high school that would maintain the excellent standards available in the public schools and would also be sensitive to the ever changing concepts of learning. Thus conceived, the school developed its independent formidable character.

The school started functioning in an old rented building with spacious grounds. The first Principal of the school, Mrs. Jai Chopra started with the first batch of just six students. With a missionary zeal, she set about nurturing the budding sapling into a flourishing and fruiting tree. Under the patronage of S. Mohan Singh and the administrative skills of Mrs. Chopra the school crossed one hurdle after another and soon became one of the leading schools of Patiala.

After the demise of Sardar Mohan Singh, the Founder President, the responsibility of the school fell on the shoulders of Sardarni Raj Mohan Singh. Like her late husband, she also devoted herself to the welfare and growth of the school. Though not an educationist herself, she intuitively knew what was best for the school. Her loving and helpful attitude always encouraged the management and the staff of the school. Her loving and motherly concern about others inspired everyone who had the good fortune to work under her guidance.

From October, 1987 onwards, the whole responsibility for managing the affairs of the school was bestowed on Dr. Ravi Singh, as “President” of the school, also a trustee of the Saraswati Vidyak Trust. He holds a Doctorate in international Law. Being a renowned scholar himself, he has a very progressive outlook towards education and this has been a blessing for the school. Being a sacred soul with modern outlook, he is well aware the compulsions of modern life and hence understands the need for an educational system which would be compatible with the socio-cultural ethos of our times. Therefore, he always welcomes new ideas and innovations that would help the school to forge ahead. Under his patronage, able and continuing stewardship and farsighted vision, owing to his higher education and working exposure of over two decades in several advanced countries of the world, the school has vastly expanded both in terms of size and quality of output.

Mrs. Chopra was elevated to the post of Director on 31st August, 1986 while the role of Principal was bestowed on Mrs. Reena Sophat, who continued to consolidate on the progress made by the school and helped the school to reach newer heights. On 1st September, 2001, she became the Executive Director and Mrs. Pratibha Sharma took over as Principal. On retirement of Mrs. Pratibha Sharma on 30th June, 2005, Mrs. Gursharan Kaur Aurora took over as Principal with zealous responsibility of steering the school to still newer heights of success and accomplishments. She retired on December 31, 2010 and Lt. Col. (Dr.) R. K. Sharma took the charge of the school as Principal. He left the school on May 31, 2012. Mr. Shripati Saran Das took over as Principal-in-Chief on June 14, 2012 and left the school on April 01, 2014. After that Mrs. Tripatjit Kaur took the charge as Acting Principal and with effect from July 12, 2014 she was promoted as the Principal.

The buildings and the vast grounds housing the school were later purchased by the school. Over the last six decades several new class rooms, Laboratories, Nursery, Home Science Room, a fully computerized Library and a Computer Hall have been constructed. This sprawling complex adequately meets the academic and co-curricular needs of more than 2500 students.

However, it is not just bricks and mortar that make an institution. It is the values and ideals that it propagates. The aim of this school has always been to impart an education which is in tune with the rich cultural ethos of the Indian society. The school does not believe in the concept of producing pseudo westerners divorced from the realties of Indian life. Although the good points of the western systems of education are incorporated into our mode of teaching, yet we ensure that our students cultivate the enduring virtues of the rich Indian ideological and cultural heritage through a judicious blend of the traditional and modern ways of teaching.

The motto of the school is “KNOWLEDGE IS LIGHT” and the aim of the school is to illumine the minds and souls of its students with the light of knowledge and enduring human values so that they may become good and responsible citizens not only of this country but of the world as well.

During the last 66 eventful years, the school has crossed many milestones, some of which are summarized below:

9th January, 1948

The school was founded on this day by Sardar Mohan Singh ,the Author of Saraswati Vidyak Trust with only six students in an old rented building with spacious grounds. Later on, the land and the building was purchased by the Saraswati Vidyak Trust for the school. Over the last 66 years, many new wings have been added to the humble two room structure and today the school can boast of sprawling buildings that adequately cater to the needs of more than 2500 students.

28th March, 1955

The school was granted provisional recognition by the Director of Public Instructions (Pepsu), Patiala.

1st April,1959

Permanent recognition was granted to the school by the DPI, Punjab.

1st April, 1961

The school was upgraded to a Higher Secondary School.

9th January, 1973

The school celebrated its Silver Jubilee with great fanfare. It was time to rejoice at its success, and a time to take stock of its shortcomings. The school rededicated itself to the service of its students.

1st May, 1987

Another important landmark was crossed when the school was granted affiliation to the Punjab School Education Board for Senior Secondary Examination in the session 1987-88. The school offered three streams of subjects namely: Medical, Non- Medical and Humanities, to its Senior Secondary students.

October, 1987

Dr. Ravi Singh took over as President of the School and the Chairman of the Managing Committee.

April, 1989

The House System was introduced in the school. The students were divided into four Houses named after the four major seasons namely Basant, Greesham, Varsha and Hemant. The colours of these Houses are yellow, red, Green and Blue respectively.

1st May, 1990

Appreciating the need for catering to the wide ranging interests and aspirations of the students, a number of subjects were added to the ones already being offered to the students of the Humanities group.

1.Punjabi Literature

2.Hindi Literature

3.English Literature

4.Economics

5.Political Science

6.History

7.Psychology

8.Home Science

9.Mathematics

10.Dance

11.Physical Education

12.Computer Science

April, 1992

The first issue of the school journal named 'Mashal' was launched under the initiative and editorship of Mrs. Gursharan Kaur Aurora. The name of the magazine was later changed to 'Saraswati' which also symbolizes the name of the Trust that manages the School.

July,1993

Nature decided to play havoc. Torrential rains brought about a flood which caused wide spread devastation in Patiala. The school was inundated and destroyed many of the assets so lovingly and carefully garnered by the school. However, the Management, staff and the students rose to the occasion and with an indomitable spirit started the task of rebuilding all that was destroyed.

The library, so painstakingly put together over the years, was completely destroyed. The laboratories also bore the brunt of the deluge. Instead of moping over the loss, the school set about restocking them and soon we had a brand new well stocked, fully air- conditioned Library as well as fully equipped laboratories.

January 9, 1998

The school completed 50 years of its existence. It was a time for rejoicing as well as introspection. The times were changing, so the school policy shifted to a dynamic amalgam of traditional and modern modes of teaching.

April, 2004

At the instant demand of the parents, the Senior Secondary classes which hitherto admitted only girl students, were opened to boys as well. The addition of Commerce stream to the already existing three streams was another important milestone which the school crossed in the session 2004 - 05.

April, 2005

As the modern world is fast becoming a cyber world , Computer Science was introduced as an elective subject in Senior Secondary (Humanities).

April, 2006

Computer Science which was being taught as a compulsory subject from Std V to Std X was introduced in Std I and IV as well. Keeping in mind the growing needs of the Senior Secondary section, a new block consisting of two Lecture Halls, a Biology Lab and a Psychology Lab was constructed.

JULY, 2007

A new bigger and modern canteen was built in place of the old one which was too small to accommodate the growing number of students.

January 8, 2008

The school completed 60 glorious years of its existence. The occasion was celebrated by holding an Akhand Path of Sri Guru Granth Sahib to thank the Almighty for His countless blessings and to pray for the future success and prosperity of the school. The celebration was grand success and an unprecedented spectacle of the devotion, dedication and participation by all and sundry of the school.

April 1, 2010

The school switched over to CBSE. - At