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Vijaylakshmi
Pandit at DC 1950-1959:
1950 was a
significant year, Mr. P G Miller completed his term and Mr.
Zutshi became the first Indian to officiate as Principal. It
was a year when an orchestra was first formed at DC and at the
APG, for the first time a lady, the Maharani of Indore, was
the Chief Guest. D.F.Jack
succeeded Miller as Principal. He was a first class
Honours Graduate in Math & Physics from Oxford. Prior to
joining DC he was teaching at Bristol Grammar. In 1951, V.P.
Menon was the Chief Guest at APG. The
school had the honour in 1952 to receive some
distinguished visitors in the shape of Army Chief General
Cariappa in February & again in November, Vijaylakshmi
Pandit in September and then Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru &
Sheikh Abdullah, also in September. Mr.
Jack decided to leave DC in 1956. He went to England as Astt.
Master at Highgate School and then moved as Principal of
Hertford Grammar School in London. In
1956, Mr. R.N. Zutshi became the
first ever Indian
Principal of the College. He had already served at DC for
thirty years.A student of St. John's chool and of St. John's
college Agra, he was appointed Assistant Master in 1922. He
was promoted to Housemaster in 1943 and to Headmaster in 1948.
He was in 1958 nominated as a member of the newly formed
Municipal Corporation of Indore. From 1960 to 1962, he served
as Deputy Mayor and in 1963 was elected Mayor.In 1957 he was
involved in the selection of Government of India Merit
Scholars. He played a role in the formation of CBSE and he
encouraged the foundation of a University at Indore. In 1964
he was nimonated on the Court of the University. In the same
year he became President of the IPSC and in 1965 was awarded
the Padma Shri,
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In
March 1955, Dr.
Rajendra Prasad, President of
India, visited the college. In the same year, the College
Cricket Captain was Raj Singh Dungarpur,. He was, while
still in school, playing for Madhya Bharat in the Ranji Trophy
matches, and was called to Calcutta for the trials for the
Indian Test Team.This was a unique achievement for a school
boy. Gopal
Singh Poshina and Hanumant Singh
were others who played
Ranji Trophy while still at DC. Hanumant Singh later played
for India and scored a century on debut against MCC.Another
outstanding sportman was Lt. Col. Ajit Singh of Bidwal
(Gajnod) who joined the 61st Cavalry and played Polo for India
against Pakistan.
In
1958, the Chief Guest was Dr.
Sampurnanand, former
teacher at DC from 1915 to 1918 and in 1958 was Chief
Minister of Uttar Pradesh, having already served as
Education Minister in that State. Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru made his second visit to DC in
November 1959.
Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at DC |
