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1940-1949:
In
1940 the College underwent a major change
of policy and was converted into a full-fledged
Public School. It thus became the first
Chiefs’ College to throw open its doors to all,
irrespective of caste, creed or social status. This
raised the academic standard and helped revive the financial
health of the College. In
1940, the Headmaster's Conference changed its name to the Indian
Public Schools' Conference (IPSC).
The
items deserving of records in Marchant's tenure were the
constructions of the & Bungalows for the staff in 1939,
the change in 1941 of the school uniform to shirts
& shorts for classes, though Jodhpuris & Saafas
continued to be used for town outings and for formal
occasions; the introduction of an Officers Training College
(OTC) suggested and financed by the Nawab of Bhopal; the
introduction in 1941 of the post of an Estate
Manager
to encourage the greening of the campus; the introduction in
1941 of a Kindergarton section; the hosting of the IPSC
Heads Conference in 1943 and the opening of Salter
House in
1944. Salter House is the present Principal's Bungalow. Marchant,
being a Public school product himself, encouraged the Old Boys
Association to become more organised and active. He encouraged
the Old Boys to raise funds for a Guest House which could be
used by them when they visited. In
1946, the Diamond Jubilee
celebrations, postponed
because of the War, were finally held. There was a banquet in
the Assembly Hall attended by, amongst other, Col C K Daly,
C.S.I., C.I.E. grandson of Sir Henry Daly. The senior most Old
Boy to attend was the 80 year old Maharaj Chhatar Singh of
Semlia.
In
March 1946 Marchant left DC in order to be nearer his two
children in England. His seven years as Principal changed the
course of the college and converted it into a modern Public
School.
Salter
House (now the Principal's Bungalow)
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The
Diamond Jubilee Banquet
P
G Miller succeeded Marchant. He was educated at Grove
Park School Wrexham (N. Wales) and later at Jesus College,
Oxford and then at Madrid University. He worked at Trent
College in Derbyshire and then at King Edward VII Schoo,
King's Lynn, Norfolk. On
August 15, 1947, the Indian flag was hoisted for the first
time in the College and this honour went to Kamlabai Saheb
Kibe, wife of M V Kibe. In 1947 itself, the DC Newsletter
was introduced which opened an avenue for students to
express themselves and become more involved in the affairs
of the college. Boarding House Evenings were started to
encourage cultural activity. The
Constitution was amended and the college registered as a
Society on April5, 1948. Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa was
elected President and Lt. Col Maharaja Anand Rao Puar of
Dhar as Vice President. From the time of Lord Wellington, it
had been the Viceroys who was Patron of the college.
It was now decided to have three hereditary Patrons
and these were the Maharajas of Gwalior, Indore &
Rewa.
1949
saw a change in the composition of the Board when two new
members joined as representatives of the Central Government.
These were General Cariappa and Humayun
Kabir, Advisor
to the Union Education Minister.It was also in 1949 that
masters wore gowns for the first time at the APG. This
tradition was later discontinued ad then revived in 2004.
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