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Tapkeshwar Temple

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145-518: 30°21′26″N 78°01′00″E  /  30.3572724°N 78.0166768°E  / 30.3572724; 78.0166768 Tapkeshwar Temple, also known as Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, is a temple in Dehradun dedicated to Shiva . The temple is on the bank of the Tons River , built on top of a natural cave, which holds the temple's main shivalinga . The Tapkeshwar Temple is believed to be 6,000 years old. It has

290-521: A jagir (land grant) in Garhwal region ( Uttarakhand ). The town later came to be known as Dehradun, after Dehra referring to Baba Ram Rai's shrine. Many followers of Ram Rai, called Ramraiyas , settled with Ram Rai. During the days of British Raj , the official name of the town was Dehra . In due time the word Dehra was linked to Dun, and thus the city was named Dehradun. In the Skanda Purana , Dun

435-508: A Panchayat Ghar (or 'village house') teaching impoverished children, and many building projects and workshops for the local community. Pupils and alumni have frequently helped local villages of organised efforts across India to assist people affected by natural disasters. During the 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake , the school's amateur radio club was used by the government for communication purposes. Sports are compulsory for pupils. The school has over 30 acres (120,000 m ) of playing fields,

580-605: A boarding school, particularly given Doon's monastic lifestyle and strict routine. The homes of housemasters and housemistresses are adjacent or physically attached to their houses to enable close supervision and support. One senior boy serves as school captain , chosen by teachers and students at the start of the year by voting in a secret ballot . Doon follows the house system ; there are five main houses (Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kashmir, Tata and Oberoi) and two 'holding houses' (Foot and Martyn, named after former headmasters), for boys in their first year. The original four houses (Oberoi

725-647: A brief period until the British East India Company went to war from 1814 to 1816. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sugowli where almost a third was ceded to British East India company. The British got Dehradun in 1816 and colonised Landour and Mussoorie in 1827–1828. Jawaharlal Nehru , India's first prime minister, was quite fond of the city and often visited. He spent his last few days here before passing away in Delhi in 1964. Another leader from

870-645: A completely new type of school in India. Foot's first action upon being offered the position was to recruit J.A.K. (John) Martyn from Harrow School as his deputy. Although Martyn had not visited India before, he took up the offer because of the opportunity it afforded him to implement the ideas of German educator Kurt Hahn at Doon; it was something he had not been able to do at Harrow. Doon's ethos and guiding principles were determined early in its life by Foot, Martyn, R.L. Holdsworth and Jack Gibson , who went on to become principal of Mayo College , and Martyn acknowledged

1015-532: A contraction of "Doon" and "school". The vast majority of alumni are Indians, but a dwindling number are from Pakistan having studied at Doon before the Partition of India forced them to leave in 1947. Relations between Indian and Pakistani alumni have remained warm over the years, despite the long history of conflict between the two countries. Boys from Bangladesh and Nepal continue to study at Doon. Pupils of Doon have achieved prominence in politics, government service,

1160-435: A controversy when the parents of Hindu and Sikh students complained on discovering that the school's dining hall only serves halal meat. The fact came to light after a visiting Pakistani delegation was assured of their meal's halal status. Despite mounting pressure, the school's board of governors appealed for maintaining the status quo. As of 2016, the school was serving both halal and non-halal ( jhatka ) meat varieties in

1305-461: A cow or cow's milk, Ashwatthama prayed to Shiva , who then fed him milk dripping from the shivalinga in the cave. The temple is popular as both a tourist destination and a pilgrimage site in Dehradun. Pilgrims bathe in the nearby sulphur-water springs before entering the temple. Drona Cave, surrounded by hills, is a popular site for picnickers from Dehradun and nearby districts. Mahashivratri fair

1450-525: A cultural exchange project organised by the BBC and British Council in light of the 2012 Summer Olympics held in the UK . The Doon School is a member of the following organisations: G20 Schools , Round Square , Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference , International Boys' Schools Coalition , Indian Public Schools' Conference , Rashtriya Life Saving Society , and International Award Association . The school

1595-445: A fete and an orchestral concert given by members of the school's Music Society. Doon celebrated its 75th Founder's Day in 2010 and programmed events on an unprecedented scale. The event was christened DS-75 . Among the chief guests were the then President of India Pratibha Patil , King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, and Kapil Sibal , then minister of Human Resource Development ). Pratibha Patil, in her address, urged

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1740-400: A few days and hot winds (called Loo ) blows over North India. Winter temperature drops below freezing point and is usually between 6 and 20 °C (43 and 68 °F). Although the temperature in Dehradun can reach below freezing during severe cold snaps, this is not common. The area receives an average annual rainfall of 2,073.3 mm (81.63 in). Most of the annual rainfall in the city

1885-530: A high school. Families who send their sons to Doon often send their daughters to Welham Girls' School , and many Doon alumni have married alumnae of Welham. The two schools hold an annual "dance social", and their alumni sometimes collaborate in organising events. Pakistani ex-pupils from Doon established the Chand Bagh School 40 km north of Lahore , Pakistan, in 1998, modelling it on the general structure of Doon. Doon also has exchange programmes with

2030-660: A larger cast and budget, as part of the Founder's Day celebrations. The Inter House Once-Act Play competition is held each year, alternatively in English and Hindi. The stage design , sound design , stage lighting, and much of the set construction are the responsibility of the pupils. In 2001, a new music school was built beside the Rose Bowl. It houses a music library , a concert hall and several practice and teaching rooms where students learn various western and Indian instruments. Pupils of

2175-535: A lecture hall, film and photography studio, publications' room and exhibition galleries. In 2016, the school's Main Building received the "Honourable Mention" under the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation , following the conservation work carried out by Aishwarya Tipnis Architects on the more than a century-old building. The school estate, known as Chandbagh (Urdu for "garden of

2320-488: A mandatory quota of social service hours every term, which is also required by both curricula offered at the school (the International Baccalaureate referring to this as Creativity, Activity and Service or 'CAS'). Though, previously, students that didn't complete their hours of work were required to stay back at school over the holidays for a brief period, this has been relaxed in recent years. Doon also oversees

2465-508: A natural shivalinga in the cave, which became a place of reverence for the local people. It is also believed that this was used as a residence by Dronacharya , the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Hindu epic Mahabharata ; the cave is called Drona Cave after him. Dronacharya's wife Kalyani was unable to breastfeed their newborn son Ashwatthama . As Dronacharya was unable to afford

2610-409: A number of overseas schools, such as Eton College, Harrow School, St. Albans School, Washington DC , Millfield , Schule Schloss Salem , The Armidale School , Bridge House School , Deerfield Academy , King's Academy , Stowe School , Scotch College, Melbourne , The Hutchins School and St. Mark's School (Texas) . In 2011 Doon twinned with The Thomas Hardye School , Dorchester, England , through

2755-491: A particular topic, presided over by a schoolmaster and often including a guest speaker. The school has often invited prominent figures to give speeches and talks to the students; these have included heads of state, politicians, ornithologists, naturalists, artists, writers, economists, diplomats and industrialists. Boys can write for, or join the editorial board of, a number of school magazines that are published in English or Hindi. The Doon School Weekly , established in 1936,

2900-981: A pivot location for higher education in India. Premier research institutes based in Dehradun are Doon University , Forest Research Institute , Dehradun Institute of Technology (DIT) , Indian Institute of Remote Sensing , Indian Institute of Petroleum , Himgiri Zee University , Wildlife Institute of India , Instruments Research and Development Establishment and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology . Universities located in Dehradun are Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical Education University , Sardar Bhagwan Singh University , Uttaranchal University , Doon University , Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India University, Dehradun , University of Petroleum and Energy Studies , Swami Rama Himalayan University , Graphic Era University and Uttarakhand Technical University . Uttarakhand Technical University has eight constituent institutes and approximately 132 affiliated colleges The campus of Forest Research Institute which

3045-401: A poem by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay ). Although Jana Gana Mana is India's national anthem , it is traditionally referred to as "Song No. 1" at Doon since it was adopted as the school song in 1935, fifteen years before it became India's national anthem. Social work, known formally as "Socially Useful Productive Work" (SUPW), is also part of school life. All boys of the school must complete

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3190-403: A population of 578,420 in Dehradun city; male and female are 303,411 and 275,009 respectively. The sex ratio of the city is 906 per 1000 males. Natives of Uttarakhand form the majority of Dehradun's population. The sex ratio of the city is 907 per 1000 males and child sex ratio of is 873 girls per 1000 boys, lower than the national average. The number of children of age under six in Dehradun city

3335-483: A strong tradition of mountaineering at school . The school occupies the former site of the Forest Research Institute and is home to diverse flora and fauna. Doon remains a boys-only school despite continued pressure from political leaders to become coeducational . Old boys of the school are known as ' Doscos '. Doon has been consistently ranked as the best all-boys residential school in India. Although

3480-480: A successful climb of Trisul, he performed a headstand asana on the summit as a tribute to the Hindu god Shiva , who is said to abide there. Holdsworth smoked a pipe on reaching the summit of Kamet (7,756 m), during its first ascent in 1931. Two Doon pupils climbed the Matterhorn in 1951 wearing cricket boots. An amphitheatre known as the Rose Bowl was built largely by pupils and masters in two years during

3625-473: A template for a complete education for boys, which included teaching them to form a habit of choosing good over evil, think logically, express their thoughts and views clearly, and maintain a healthy body. At the opening of the school, he said, "Our boys should leave The Doon School as members of an aristocracy, but it must be an aristocracy of service inspired by the ideals of unselfishness, not one of privilege, wealth or position". The annual school fees in 1935

3770-575: A zero waste zone. Electricity in Dehradun is regulated through the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), while Fire services are handled by the Uttarakhand Fire and Emergency Services. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited , or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them Vodafone , Bharti Airtel , Reliance , Idea Cellular , and Tata Teleservices are the leading telephone and cell phone service providers in

3915-632: Is Vinay Shankar Pandey while the deputy municipal commissioner is Soniya Pant. The corporation has the following departments: public works, property tax, health, street lights, project implementation unit, Information Technology and sanitation. As per the ASICS report 2017, Dehradun municipality generates very few of its own revenues and relies primarily on grants from the state government. The municipality collects revenue from property taxes and parking fees. Other urban entities involved in civic services and city governance and management include parastatals like

4060-483: Is a selective all-boys private boarding school in Dehradun , Uttarakhand, India, which was established in 1935. It was envisioned by Satish Ranjan Das , a lawyer from Calcutta , as a school modelled on the British public school while remaining conscious of Indian ambitions and desires. The school admitted its first pupils on 10 September 1935, and formally opened on 27 October 1935, with Lord Willingdon presiding over

4205-464: Is a Hindi word with the meaning of temple, whose etymology is: "dev" + "ghar", from Prakrit "devahara." "dūn" (or Hindi दून derives from the Sanskrit droṇī (or द्रोणि) and means "a tract of country lying at the foot of hills; a valley" The town was established when Baba Ram Rai , the son of the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai built a gurudwara or temple in the area in the 17th century. Ram Rai

4350-624: Is assigned a 'Tutor' – a School Master affiliated with their boarding house – who is responsible for their pastoral welfare and may coordinate academic help when requested. Subjects on offer include geography, political science, history, economics, accountancy, commerce, environmental studies, art and design, psychology, music, English, Hindi, Sanskrit and STEM subjects . Doon's foreign language offerings include French, German and Spanish. The school's Careers Information, Education and Guidance Department has offered pupils guidance on career paths, college applications, entrance exams and standardized tests like

4495-502: Is assisted by a chief development officer; five additional district magistrates for finance/revenue, city, rural administration, land acquisition and civil supply. The city is represented in two Lok Sabha constituencies, of Tehri Garhwal by MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah from the BJP , and Garhwal represented by BJP's Tirath Singh Rawat , elected in 2019. The city is also represented by four MLAs elected from four state assembly constituencies, as per

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4640-475: Is believed that after the battle between Ravana and Rama, Rama and his brother Lakshmana visited this site. Also, known as 'Dronanagari' on the name of Dronacharya , legendary Royal guru to the Kauravas and Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata, is believed to have been born and resided in Dehradun. Evidence such as ancient temples and idols have been found in the areas surrounding Dehradun which have been linked to

4785-465: Is directly elected for a period of five years and is currently Sunil Uniyal Gama, elected in November 2018. The municipal commissioner is the executive head of the local government institutions (the municipal corporation ) in the division, in charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the division. As of 2020, the municipal commissioner

4930-480: Is divided into two major parts: the main city Dehradun surrounded by Shivalik and the Jaunsar-Bawar, which is in the foothills of Himalayas. In the north and northwest it borders on the district of Uttarkashi and Tehri Garhwal , in the east and southeast by Pauri Garhwal and Ganges river, in the west, it is bordered by Shimla and Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh , Yamunanagar district of Haryana and

5075-567: Is fully residential, and boys and most teachers live on campus. In tenth grade, students take the Cambridge IGCSE examinations, and for the final two years can choose between the Indian School Certificate or International Baccalaureate . A broad range of extra-curricular activities, numbering around 80, are offered to the boys, and early masters such as R.L. Holdsworth , J.A.K. Martyn , Jack Gibson and Gurdial Singh established

5220-501: Is held in Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple . On this day, Shiva devotees come here from far and wide. On the day of Mahashivratri, the temple is decorated with lighting and flowers. Mahaprasad is organized for the devotees visiting here by the temple trust. On this auspicious occasion, the form of Mahadev "Aghori" is also seen here. Who come from Kedarnath and Badrinath. Apart from Mahashivratri, devotees also visit this temple for darshan in

5365-485: Is mentioned as a part of the region called Kedarkhand, the abode of Shiva . According to Hindu mythology, in ancient India during the Mahabharata epic era, Dronacharya , the great teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas , lived here, hence the name of "Dronanagari" (lit. city of Drona ). The history of the city of Uttarakhand , Dehradun (nicknamed "Doon Valley") is linked to the story of Ramayana and Mahabharata . It

5510-677: Is one of the " Counter Magnets " of the National Capital Region (NCR) being developed as an alternative centre of growth to help ease the migration and population explosion in the Delhi metropolitan area and to establish a smart city in the Himalayas. Dehradun is located in the Doon Valley on the foothills of the Himalayas nestled between Song River , a tributary of Ganges on the east and

5655-539: Is operated and maintained by Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS), a state agency. The sewage of Dehradun is operated and maintained by Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS) but is also selectively under the aegis of the Smart City project funded by the central government. As per a report from 2015, only 25% of the city is covered by the existing sewage system. According to the Smart Cities Annexe 2, the sewerage covers 30% of

5800-485: Is received during the months from June to September, July and August being rainiest. During the monsoon season, there is often heavy and protracted rainfall. Agriculture benefits from fertile alluvial soil, adequate drainage and plentiful rain. Dehradun has been ranked 37th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India. Religion in Dehradun City (2011) The 2011 census reported

5945-414: Is responsible for legislating and discussing school policies. Every house holds a vote to send four student representatives to the council. Each house is run by a housemaster or a housemistress, along with a house captain and a team of prefects . The housemistress is assisted by a matron known as "The Dame", who provides pastoral care for pupils, some of whom take several weeks to adjust fully to life in

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6090-486: Is secured, after passing the entrance examination and interview, a student may apply for around 30 scholarships or bursaries. Some are reserved for boys proficient in sports or arts, and others for those from particular regions or the children of armed forces personnel. As of August 2022, the annual school fees for Indian students was ₹ 11,20,000, and ₹ 14,00,000 for foreign nationals or non-resident Indians . The monetary value of financial aid ranges from fifty per cent of

6235-412: Is that the 'Doon School runs India,' but that is too simple an analysis for a complex, chaotic country with so many competing spheres of influence. Gandhi's reliance on Doon alumni for political advice later led Prime Minister Morarji Desai to remark, "If I had anything to do with this place, I'd close it down". Although any alumnus seldom held public office for some time afterwards, this changed with

6380-550: Is the highest in the region. Male literacy is 92.65% and female literacy is 85.66%. The number of literates in Dehradun city is 463,791, of which 251,832 are males and 211,959 are females. As capital of the state of Uttarakhand, Dehradun houses important state government facilities such as the offices of the local governing agencies, the Vidhan Sabha (the home of the Uttarakhand state legislature), and Raj Bhavan (the residence of

6525-412: Is the oldest publication and the official school newspaper. Distributed every Saturday morning, and edited by pupils, it chronicles school activities and is a platform for creative, political or humorous writing. The publication aims to represent the views of the school community as well as Old Boys, and include satire and criticism of school policies. More subversive publications, critical of teachers and

6670-475: Is the regional test centre for University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and SAT Tests. As private schools became more widespread in India, several other schools used "Doon" as part of their names, causing some confusion. Among them are Doon Global School, Doon Presidency School, Doon International School, Doon Preparatory School, Doon Cambridge School, Doon Girls School, Doon Public School (in West Delhi, not

6815-419: Is the starting point of Lesser Himalayan Range that extends to Mussoorie and beyond. Jaunsar-Bawar hills in Dehradun district rises to 3,700 m (12,100 ft) above sea level. The hilly region of Mussoorie goes up to a height of 1,870–2,017 m (6,135–6,617 ft) above sea level. Its geomorphological and meteorological characteristics make it prone to a number of natural hazards. Beside earthquakes,

6960-665: Is the winter capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand . It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation , with the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly holding its winter sessions in the city as its winter capital. Part of the Garhwal region , and housing the headquarters of its Divisional Commissioner, Dehradun

7105-510: The Afghan cricket team . and Afghan cricket fans recall this "centuries old link" with the town. The city of Dehradun mainly lies in Doon Valley and is at a varying height from 410 m (1,350 ft) in Clement Town to above 700 m (2,300 ft) at Malsi which is 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city. However, the average elevation is 450 m (1,480 ft) above sea level. Malsi

7250-571: The COVID-19 pandemic and the Indian lockdown . Online classes were being conducted for students through video conferencing apps. Jagpreet Singh was appointed the eleventh headmaster of Doon in April 2020; he is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference , UK . The school is owned by the non-profit entity Indian Public Schools' Society (IPSS), which was registered by S.R. Das in 1928 with

7395-506: The Chief Minister of Odisha , Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia , politician and poet Karan Singh . In the field of literature, Doon alumni include novelists Amitav Ghosh , Vikram Seth , Ardashir Vakil , and historian Ramachandra Guha ; and in journalism, Prannoy Roy , founder of NDTV ; Aroon Purie , founder of India Today , Karan Thapar , Virendra Prabhakar and Vikram Chandra . India's first Rhodes scholar , Lovraj Kumar ,

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7540-788: The Dehradun Cantonment area of Dehradun city, Uttarakhand , India. To house the school, the IPSS acquired the Chandbagh Estate in Dehradun from the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department on a 100-year lease of one rupee per year. This lease continues to date, having been since transferred to the Indian Armed Forces overseeing the Dehradun Cantonment . Part of the estate was once a deer park. The IPSS also acquired an adjoining estate, now known as Skinner's Field, from

7685-570: The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing . It is the headquarters of the Surveyor-General of India . According to the combined survey based on health, infrastructure, economy, education, and crime, conducted by Dainik Jagran and KPMG , Dehradun is one of India's safest cities. Dehradun is also known for its Basmati rice and bakery products. Also known as the "Abode of Drona", Dehradun has been an important centre for Garhwal rulers , which

7830-564: The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Jal Sansthan, and Jal Nigam among others. These oversee the city's civic infrastructure which comes under Dehradun Urban Agglomeration and covers a population of 714,223 according to the 2011 census. The headquarters of Uttarakhand Police are located in Dehradun. While the state is headed by the Director general of police ,

7975-462: The SAT and ACT . In recent years, boys have increasingly chosen foreign universities over Indian colleges, sometimes due to the hyper-competitiveness of the Indian higher education system that calls for extremely high school-leaving scores for admissions. The early headmasters and teachers at Doon came from traditional British public schools, and the jargon introduced by them is still in use. For example,

8120-691: The Terai and Bhabar forests within it as well as the Shivalik hills and Lesser Himalayan Range containing hill stations such as Mussoorie and Chakrata . The district is bordered by the Himalayas in the north, Rajaji Range of the Sivalik Hills to the south, the river Ganges to the east, and the Yamuna river to the west. Towns in the foothills of the mountain ranges include Sahastradhara, Lakhamandal , Gautam Kund, Chandrabani , Kalsi and Dakpathar . This district

8265-530: The Tons and Yamuna rivers. To the south are Haridwar and Uttar Pradesh 's Saharanpur district . It is between latitudes 30°01' N and 31°2'N and longitudes 77°34' E and 78°18'E. This district consists of six tehsils – Dehradun, Chakrata, Vikasnagar, Kalsi, Tiuni and Rishikesh – six community development blocks – Vis, Chakrata, Kalsi, Vikasnagar, Sahaspur, Rajpur and Doiwala – 17 towns and 764 villages. Out of these 746 villages are inhabited; 18 are uninhabited. There

8410-508: The 100 wards in the city are covered by this plant and only 3% of the wards in Dehradun have 100% segregation of waste at source. Segregation of waste at source is lacking in the city, although the municipality spends around one crore per month on collection and transportation of solid waste. A decentralised pilot project was started in Nathuwala ward with the help of local residents and an NGO called Feedback Foundation and has since been declared

8555-464: The 1930s and underwent a major structural change in 2009. It can seat up to 2,000 people and has been the setting for numerous plays as well as musical performances and speeches during school ceremonies such as Founder's Day. The Multi-Purpose Hall is a more modern indoor theatre that can accommodate approximately 2,000 people. Plays are regularly staged in English and Hindi, with 8–9 productions each year including 2 major productions, which usually have

8700-401: The 1980s, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi 's administration was criticised, and labelled "Doon Cabinet", following the appointment of his school acquaintances to major posts. The school has educated a wide range of notable alumni, including politicians, diplomats, artists, writers and businesspeople including late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra . Doon

8845-520: The 2008 delimitation: Nagar Nigam Dehradun, also called Dehradun Municipal Corporation , is the local government of the city. The corporation originated in 1998. Prior to December 2003, this body was known as Dehradun Municipal Council, and after revamping the municipality, the Dehradun Municipal Corporation came into existence under the Uttarakhand (The Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959) (Amendment) Act, 2017. As of 2018,

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8990-689: The Asan River, a tributary of Yamuna on the west. The city is noted for its picturesque landscape and provides a gateway to the surrounding region. Dehradun is a notable academic and research hub and is home to the Indian Military Academy , Forest Research Institute , Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy , the Doon School , Welham Boys School , Welham Girls School , Brightlands School , Rashtriya Indian Military College , Uttarakhand Ayurveda University , Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and

9135-666: The Dehradun are plagued by non-functioning equipment in the operating theatre and the insufficient number of labour rooms. Hospitals in the city include the Doon Hospital, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital, Himalayan Hospital, Uttaranchal Ayurvedic Hospital, Combined Medical Institute (CMI) Hospital, Luthra Hospital, and Government Hospital Premnagar (managed by the state government). Schools in Dehradun are classified as aided, unaided and Government schools. These schools are affiliated with CBSE , Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or CISCE ; except for

9280-539: The Doon Valley) Doon Heritage School (Siliguri, West Bengal) and the Doon College of Spoken English. None of them are related to The Doon School. Former Headmaster Peter McLaughlin had, during his tenure, sought to copyright the school's name and initiate legal proceedings against institutions falsely presenting themselves as connected to the school, but was unsuccessful. Pupils are known as "Doscos",

9425-767: The Doon alumni include Analjit Singh of Max Group, Sunil Kant Munjal , chairman of Hero MotoCorp ; Rahul Akerkar , restaurateur and founder of Indigo and Qualia; father and son Vikram Lal and Siddhartha Lal of Eicher Motors ; A. Vellayan , chairman of the Murugappa Group , Ajit Narain Haksar , the first Indian chairman of ITC Limited ; R.C. Bhargava , chairman of Maruti Suzuki ; Ajay S. Shriram , managing director of DCM Shriram group , Rohit Kapoor, CEO and Co-founder of EXL, and Sharan Pasricha , CEO of Ennismore hospitality developer and founder of The Hoxton and Gleneagles . In

9570-551: The Nepalese warlord Kaji Amar Singh Thapa under the central leadership of Prime Minister Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa united many of the Indian territories that now fell under places such as Almora , Pathankot , Kumaon , Garhwal , Sirmur , Shimla , Kangra and Dehradun. On the western front Garhwal and parts of Himachal Pradesh up to Punjab and on the eastern front the state of Sikkim up to Darjeeling became parts of Nepal for

9715-678: The Second World War, about 65 Doon students served in the Army , Navy or Air Force . In 1948, Foot returned to England for "family reasons", and John Martyn became the second headmaster. After the Indian Independence , Martyn's friends suggested it would be a mistake to stay on in India, but he later wrote: "They could not have been more wrong. I have found my life much pleasanter than before...although no one had previously ever done or said anything to make me feel at all unwelcome, from now on it

9860-523: The Seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai, set up his "Dera" (camp) in "dun" (valley) in 1676. This 'Dera Dun' later on became Dehradun. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was highly impressed by the miraculous powers of charismatic Ram Rai. He asked the contemporary Maharaja of Garhwal, Fateh Shah to extend all possible help to Ram Rai. Initially, a Gurudwara (temple) was built in Dhamawala. The construction of

10005-513: The Survey Chowk was the royal servants quarter." Today the descendants of the former royalty, Yakub Khan and his grandson Sardar Azim Khan's family have integrated with the mainstream of Dehradun life. The Doon connection was revived when Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan while undergoing treatment in New Delhi during the last years of his life expressed a desire to meet his Doon cousins but

10150-547: The Valley of Flowers at Dodital , Dayara Bugyal , Kedarkantha , Har Ki Dun and Hemkunt Sahib for camping and Himalayan panoramic views. The Hindu holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh , along with the Himalayan pilgrimage circuit of Chota Char Dham , viz. Yamunotri , Gangotri , Kedarnath and Badrinath , are also primarily accessed via Dehradun, the closest major city. Dehradun is made up of two words "dehra" + "dun." "dehra"

10295-484: The Viceroy, and to do this without any self-consciousness ...At 17 must come another quality, less instinctive and requiring a maturer mind: he must acquire a capacity of judgement.  ... In 1947, there were around 300 boys studying at Doon, out of which 50-60 were Muslims , 15-20 Sikhs , 15-20 Parsees , 6-7 Christians, and the remaining two-thirds Hindu. The first cohort of students left school in 1938, and during

10440-589: The accomplishments of masters such as R.L. Holdsworth , Jack Gibson and Gurdial Singh , and alumni like Nandu Jayal , who later became the founder principal of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute . Notable climbs by staff and alumni include Bandarpunch (6,316 m) in 1950, Kala Nag (6,387 m) in 1956, Trisul (7,120 m) in 1951, Kamet (7,756 m) in 1955, Abi Gamin (7,355 m) in 1953 and 1955, Mrigthuni (6,855 m) in 1958 and Jaonli (6,632 metres) in 1964. Some of these expeditions have been noted for their idiosyncrasies. After Gurdial Singh led

10585-591: The aim of establishing public schools in India. Under the IPSS, the Board of Governors supervises all matters of Doon. The current board comprises thirteen members and is chaired by Anoop Bishnoi , an alumnus. The president of The Doon School Old Boys' Society has a seat on the board to represent the views and interests of the alumni. At the intramural level, the School Council, comprising the headmaster, heads of department, staff and student representatives from each house,

10730-587: The armed forces of India and Pakistan, commerce, journalism, the arts and literature. In politics, they include cabinet ministers , chief ministers , several members of the Indian Parliament and state Legislative Assemblies , diplomats, and former heads of the Indian and Pakistani Air Forces. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was educated at Doon. Politician Mani Shankar Aiyar , the former Defence Secretary of Pakistan Ghulam Jilani Khan , Kamal Nath and Rahul Gandhi were at school, and Naveen Patnaik ,

10875-472: The boys go on a one-week "midterm", an expedition through the Siwalik Hills or Himalayas . Senior boys make treks of up to five days, unaccompanied by teachers, camping out in tents and cooking their own food. The trips are planned by students themselves. Alumni have recalled these midterms as formative and character-building experiences. Doon has been credited with pioneering mountaineering in India, due to

11020-617: The ceremony. The school's first headmaster was Arthur E. Foot , an English educationalist who had spent nine years as a science master at Eton College , England. The school houses roughly 580 pupils aged 12 to 18, and admission is based on a competitive entrance examination and an interview with the headmaster. Every year boys are admitted in only two-year groups: seventh grade in January and eighth grade in April. As of May 2019, boys from 26 Indian states as well as 35 non-resident Indians and foreign nationals were studying at Doon. The school

11165-453: The city's ecology , aesthetics, microclimate and built environment . The climate of Dehradun is humid subtropical (Cwa). The city is in Doon Valley and temperature variations due to difference in elevation are considerable. In the hilly regions, the summer is pleasant. But in the Doon, the heat is in rare cases, intense and summer temperatures can reach up to 40 °C (104 °F) for

11310-404: The city, and has an efficiency of 10%. The city of Dehradun generates 350 metric tons (350,000 kg; 390 short tons) of waste per day. The landfill or dumping site has since shifted from the dumping ground on Sahastradhara road in 2017 to one centralised solid waste processing plant in Dehradun, Shishambara on the outskirts of the city which has the capacity of 600 MP per day. Only 69 of

11455-489: The city. The healthcare facilities in Dehradun consist of private and public hospitals, formal and informal service providers as well as secondary and tertiary healthcare with single clinic doctors. In spite of having special status under the National Health Mission , the city is facing a healthcare crisis due to the shortage of medical manpower in the state and financial constraints. Hospitals and medical centres in

11600-639: The city. Since Dehradun has many central Government offices, there are as many as 12 Kendriya Vidyalayas also in the city. After completing their secondary education, students typically enrol in schools that have a higher secondary facility and are affiliated with the Directorate of higher education, the ICSE , or the CBSE . The colleges are each affiliated with a university or institution based either in Uttarakhand or elsewhere in India. In recent times, Dehradun has evolved as

11745-506: The country. Attendance at the morning assembly is required of all pupils and teachers. It traditionally begins with a song from the school's song book, which contains poetry, hymns and bhajans , including Jana Gana Mana by Rabindranath Tagore , Chisti Ne Jis Zamin Mein by Muhammad Iqbal , Anand Loke by Rabindranath Tagore , Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua by Muhammad Iqbal, Ghungat Ke Pat Khol Re (attributed to Meerabai ), Vande Mataram (from

11890-605: The descendants of James Skinner . The buildings on campus include the Main Building, which houses offices and classrooms, structures for sports facilities, science blocks, music school, library, arts and media centre, auditorium, amphitheatre, dining hall, wellness centre, recycling and waste-treatment plants, and masters' residences. The construction of the Main Building, then in FRI, was carried out by Imperial Public Works Department, and finished in 1911. Its Renaissance-style architecture

12035-460: The dining hall. In 2009, Peter McLaughlin , an Irish academic, was chosen to lead the school, becoming the first non-Indian headmaster in almost four decades. Founder's Day is a three-four day event in the autumn term, usually October, that marks the school's founding and draws many ex-pupils from all parts of the world. The chief guest is usually a prominent person, and the events include exhibitions, productions of plays, yoga sessions, live bands,

12180-954: The district is headed by Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Garhwal. The city's nodal police officer is the superintendent of police (SP City) who reports to the senior superintendent of police (SSP) who also holds the post of DIG . Dehradun falls under the Lucknow zone of the Chief Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is part of the central government. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACB) Dehradun, has jurisdiction over 13 districts in Uttarakhand. Dehradun city receives potable water from two primary sources- surface water and groundwater to meet its supply needs. The sources of water were mainly from Kaulu khet Spring, Maussifall, Bindal River, Bijapur canal and more than 100 tubewells. It suffers from lack of sufficient ground water recharge and depleting ground water tables. The water supply of Dehradun

12325-513: The early part of the 20th Century and are palaces are a miniature replica of the palatial structures owned by the kings in Afghanistan. The Bala Hissar Palace has now been turned into Mussoorie's Wynberg Allen School . Doon-based heritage enthusiast Ghanshyam told the Times of India, "The police station at Karanpur used to be the royal guard room of Yakoob way back in 1879. The electrical office located at

12470-473: The early years, many teachers came from British schools, including Peter Lawrence from Eton College, Jack Gibson from Ripon Grammar School , John A. K. Martyn and R. L. Holdsworth from Harrow. The school's first art teacher was the artist Sudhir Khastgir , from Shantiniketan , who joined in 1936 and remained at school for twenty years. Many sculptures and murals on the campus today were created by him. The film director Chetan Anand taught briefly at

12615-507: The film Dazed in Doon for the celebrations, using pupils for the cast and crew. Most of it was shot in June and July during the summer break, and those scenes which required the entire student body were filmed after the school reopened in August. It was screened on the final day of celebrations to a gathering of over 2000 people, including guests, students, parents and alumni. The day after screening,

12760-543: The final two years: International Baccalaureate (IB) or Indian School Certificate (ISC). The academic year has three terms: spring, summer and autumn. The autumn term runs from August to the year-end final examinations in November, after which the boys are promoted to the new class in February. Each term has a "test week" and end-of-term examinations known as "trials". Boys are able to visit teachers, most of whom live on campus, for further academic help. Additionally, each boy

12905-401: The formal gardens attract a variety of birds. The school is listed as a hotspot on the eBird database of Cornell Lab of Ornithology , and 130 bird species had been identified on the campus as of June 2021. In the 1940-50s, ornithologist Salim Ali , who was a friend of Foot, Gibson and Martyn, was a regular visitor to the school; he sensitized generations of pupils to the natural diversity of

13050-408: The formal opening of the school. Seventy boys enrolled in the first term, and 110 more signed up for the second. Foot had never visited India before accepting the position of headmaster. He noted that the school appeared to be surrounded by forests and close to mountains, and the possibilities of outdoor recreation and mountaineering seem to have influenced his decision as much as the chance to create

13195-536: The former estate of the Forest Research Institute , in Dehradun , from the government on favourable terms. Lord Halifax , then President of the British Board of Education, led a selection committee that nominated Arthur E. Foot , a science teacher at Eton College , to be the first headmaster. The school admitted its first pupils on 10 September 1935, and on 27 October 1935, the Viceroy , Lord Willingdon , presided over

13340-472: The government schools, which are run directly by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education and follow the syllabus prescribed by the state government . The language of instruction in schools is either English or Hindi. Uttarakhand Board of School Education is responsible for administering courses of instructions, textbooks, and to conduct examinations for secondary school students of the state. The board

13485-404: The governor of Uttarakhand). Most government establishments and institutions are housed in the city. Dehradun city falls in Garhwal division of Uttarakhand which is headed by the divisional commissioner of Dehradun, who is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of high seniority. The district magistrate and collector of Dehradun report to the divisional commissioner as well. The DM

13630-488: The idea of such a school, there were many, like Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore , who were opposed to it, considering it inegalitarian. Das travelled widely in India with the goal of collecting ₹ 4 million, but at the time of his death in 1928 had raised only ₹ 1 million in cash and a further ₹ 1 million in promises. With the money, Das formed the Indian Public Schools' Society (IPSS), with

13775-593: The independence movement, Rash Behari Bose , who was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar conspiracy and, later, the Indian National Army was based in Dehradun in his early days before he was forced to move to Japan in 1915 to continue the freedom struggle. Post-independence Dehradun and other parts of Garhwal and Kumaon were merged with United Provinces which was later renamed the state of Uttar Pradesh . In 2000, Uttarakhand state (earlier called Uttaranchal)

13920-469: The influence of Hahn's ideas in the development of the school's ethos. They were soon joined in their efforts by Indians such as the artist Sudhir Khastgir (the school's first art teacher, who had trained previously in Santiniketan ) and Gurdial Singh , a noted mountaineer who taught at Doon for several decades. In an essay entitled The Objects of Education published in the school magazine, Foot offered

14065-461: The largest of which are Skinner Extracurricular activities are also a compulsory element of school life. There are around 70-80 clubs and societies, including astronomy, business, The Doon School Model United Nations , quiz, photography and film, aeromodelling , robotics, paper recycling, weather reporting, pottery, carpentry, amateur radio (school call sign : VU2CHC) and birdwatching, among others. In many societies pupils come together to discuss

14210-534: The majority of Dehradun's population; Muslims compose a large minority. According to provisional results of the 2011 national census, Hinduism is majority religion in Dehradun city with 82.53% followers. Islam is the second most practised religion in the city with approximately 11.75% following it. Sikhism by 3.5%, Christianity is followed by 1.06%, Jainism by 0.63%, and Buddhism by 0.29%. Around 0.01% stated 'Other Religion', approximately 0.24% stated 'No Particular Religion'. Dehradun's literacy rate at 89.32%

14355-473: The meeting could not take place as the family members were away. Ashraf Ghani , former President of Afghanistan has mentioned that his grandmother grew up in Dehra Dun. "I speak of Tagore because I was raised on Tagore by my grandmother who lived in Dehradun...," Dr Ghani said while talking about India's vision and the remarkable transformation. Dehradun is also being selected to be the second "home" ground of

14500-628: The models of Muslim architecture. The huge pond in the front measuring 230 by 80 feet (70 m × 24 m) had dried up for want of water over the years. People had been dumping rubbish; it has been renovated and revived. Dehradun was invaded by Mahmud of Ghazni during his campaigns into India followed by Timur in 1368, Rohilla chief Najib ad-Dawlah in 1757 and Ghulam Qadir in 1785. In 1804 battles of Khurbura at Dehradun fought between Garhwal king Pradyuman shah and Gorakhali forces led by General Amar Singh thapa.in which king Pradyuman shah died then this area came under control of Gorakha. In 1806

14645-572: The month of Shravan. This temple is open every day from 6 am to 7 pm, but in Shravan the temple is kept open day and night, so that all the devotees can get darshan of Mahadev ji. The temple hold a large festival on Shivratri . The temple committee organizes free meals for the devotees. Every year on Holi , a local theater group, Hamari Pehchan, begins their holiday performance at the temple. Dehradun Dehradun ( / ˌ d ɛr ə ˈ d uː n / , ISO : Dēharādūna ), also known as Dehra Doon ,

14790-527: The moon"), lies in the green zone of the city and occupies the former site of the Imperial Forest Research Institute, now Forest Research Institute . Before the school's opening, the site had been the centre of forestry in India for three decades, and, today, a wide variety of flora and fauna are found on campus, including many rare trees that date back to the days of the FRI. The school has over 150 species of trees on its campus, and

14935-466: The municipality covers an area of 196.48 km (75.86 sq mi) and administers a population of 803,983. In 2017, with the inclusion of 72 adjoining villages in the DMC limits, the number of wards increased from 60 to 100. As of 2020, the corporation consists of 100 wards and the elected head is the mayor who presides over a deputy mayor and 99 other corporators representing the wards. The mayor

15080-451: The mythology of Ramayana and Mahabharata. These relics and ruins are believed to be around 2000 years old. Furthermore, the location, the local traditions and the literature reflect this region's links with the events of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Even after the battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas had an influence on this region as the rulers of Hastinapura with the descendants of Subahu ruled

15225-402: The name of Dehradun was used, the place is shown on old maps as Gurudwara (a map by Webb, 1808) or Gurudwara (a map by Gerard, 1818). Gerard's map names the place as "Dehra or Gurudwara". Surrounding this original Sikh temple were many small villages that are now the names of parts of the modern city. Dehradun itself derives its name from the historical fact that Baba Ram Rai , the eldest son of

15370-591: The new school, presented to the Royal Society of Arts , London in 1947, Foot wrote: "In language we have never intended to base our instruction on the Classics in the way that Latin is still the centre pin of the English Public School. The great majority of boys take Urdu or Hindi." Martyn retired as headmaster in 1966 and became a managing trustee of Indian Cheshire Homes . The school's first Indian headmaster

15515-535: The objective of founding new public schools in India that would admit students regardless of caste, creed or social status. After Das's death in 1928, the IPSS accomplished little, and by 1934 some of the original lenders had begun to inquire about the return of their money. To solve this problem, Sir Joseph Bhore , then Railway Minister of Lord Willingdon's Council, became IPSS chairman, and along with Sir Frank Noyce and Sir Akbar Hydari as secretary, worked to obtain

15660-715: The occasion of the 75th Founder's Day. In June 2016, the school announced the appointment of Matthew Raggett , principal of the Leipzig International School 's secondary department, to succeed Peter McLaughlin as headmaster. Until the start of McLaughlin's headmastership, the student demographic was dominated by boys hailing from the North Indian states. To make the school more diverse, Raggett continued McLaughlin's outreach initiative of inviting more applications from boys in South and Northeast Indian states. The school

15805-541: The palace of Dost Mohammad. The famous Dehradooni Basmati was brought along by him from Kunar Province in Afghanistan and it continues to be counted as a delicacy of the valley. Forty years later, after the Second Anglo-Afghan War , his grandson, Mohammad Yaqub Khan , was sent to exile to India in 1879. Just like his grandfather, he chose Doon valley as his abode. Yakoob became the first Afghan to formally settle in Dehradun. The present Mangla Devi Inter College

15950-604: The playing fields, which is then followed by classes. On Sundays, boys are free to pursue any activity or sport. Senior boys may go into the town for leisure on designated Sundays, after taking permission from the housemaster of their respective houses. The student-teacher ratio at the school is 10:1. Doon pupils take the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams in tenth grade , which replaced Indian Certificate of Secondary Education in 2017, and are thereafter offered two strands for

16095-414: The political ascendance of Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia , Naveen Patnaik , and Rahul Gandhi . Kanti Bajpai was the third old boy, after Gulab Ramchandani and Shomie Das, to become headmaster, when appointed to the post in 2003. He introduced numerous punishments, notably "yellow cards" (informally known as 'YCs'), to control an outburst of bullying at Doon. In 2006, Bajpai found himself embroiled in

16240-411: The present building, Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib , was completed in 1707. There are portraits of gods, goddesses, saints, sages and religious stories on the walls. There are pictures of flowers and leaves, animals and birds, trees, similar faces with pointed noses and big eyes on the arches which are the symbol of the colour scheme of Kangra-Guler art and Mughal art . High minarets and round pinnacles are

16385-455: The region along the banks of the river Yamuna in Kalsi indicating the wealth and importance of the region in ancient India. In the neighbouring region of Haripur, ruins were discovered from the time of King Rasala which also reflect the region's prosperity. It was under control of Garhwal for many centuries. Fateh Shah, a Garhwal king, donated three villages in Dehradun to Sikh guru Ram Rai. Before

16530-552: The region as subsidiaries. Likewise, Rishikesh is mentioned in the pages of history when Vishnu answered the prayers of the saints, slaughtered the demons and handed the land to the saints. The adjoining place called Chakrata has its historical impression during the time of Mahabharata. In the seventh century, this area was known as Sudhanagara and was described by the Chinese traveller Huen Tsang . Sudhanagara later came to be recognised as Kalsi . Edicts of Ashoka have been found in

16675-471: The region is frequently devastated by landslides, cloudbursts, flash-floods, cold waves and hailstorms. The Doon valley contains the settlements including Raiwala, Rishikesh , Doiwala , Harrawala, Dehradun, Herbertpur , Vikasnagar , Sahaspur, Selaqui, Subhash Nagar and Clement Town. The district houses Rajaji National Park which is home to elephants, Benog Wildlife Sanctuary at Mussoorie & Asan Conservation Reserve ( Asan Barrage ). The Doon Valley has

16820-460: The same level of prestige as they did sporting achievements. In 1979, Gulab Ramchandani became the first alumnus to be appointed headmaster, and during his term the school regained financial stability. In 1988, Shomie Das , another alumnus and the grandson of school founder Satish Ranjan Das, became headmaster. Das's focus was on upgrading the school infrastructure, and during his time the Oberoi house

16965-521: The school authorities to make Doon a co-educational institution. One of the main events was a discussion, dubbed the "Chandbagh Debate", held between alumni including Vikram Seth , Kamal Nath , Manpreet Singh Badal , Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia and retired headmaster Kanti Bajpai, on the topic Can India lead? . It was moderated by television commentator Karan Thapar , an alumnus of the school. Ashvin Kumar , an alumnus and Oscar-nominated director, made

17110-415: The school campus, and introduced them to many aspects of ornithology. In 1996, a book titled Trees of Chandbagh was released which provided a comprehensive account of vegetation found on Doon's campus. Along similar lines, the illustrated book Birds of Chandbagh: A Guide To Birding at The Doon School was released in 2019, featuring photographs, illustrations and QR codes documenting the bird calls of

17255-523: The school establishment, have occasionally been produced without official sponsorship. Other magazines include The Yearbook , a heavily illustrated publication for recording all highlights of the school year, and The Doon School Information Review for cultural criticism. Specialist publications by academic departments include Vibgyor (Art), Echo (Science), The Econocrat (Economics), Infinity (Mathematics), Grand Slam (Sports) and The Circle (History and Political Science). Halfway through each term,

17400-421: The school from 1940 to 1944. Mountaineer Gurdial Singh joined in 1946 as a geography teacher and led the boys on many expeditions. The cricketer and mathematics teacher, Sheel Vohra , joined in 1959 and became the longest-serving master in school's history when he retired in 1998. The Fiji-Indian academic Satendra Nandan taught history at school in the early 1960s, and the sarod player Ashok Roy headed

17545-415: The school has often been cited as 'Eton of India' by media outlets such as the BBC , The New York Times , The Guardian , The Spectator , The Daily Telegraph , and Washington Post , it eschews the label. Doon often draws attention, and sometimes criticism, from the media for the perceived disproportionate influence of its alumni in spheres such as Indian politics, business, or culture. In

17690-480: The school have an option to appear for the Trinity Guildhall music examinations, conducted by Trinity College London , in piano, violin, drums and classical guitar. In 2002, the school choir raised ₹ 2 million for victims of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake by organising a charity concert with the title Concerto 2000 , in which drummer Sivamani also took part. To commemorate its 75th Founder's Day in 2010,

17835-482: The school launched a music album, called Spirit of Doon in collaboration with EMI . The tracks were written by the lyricist Gulzar and were sung by the school choir, Sonu Nigam , Shayan Italia and Bhajan Sopori . From its foundation in 1937 until the early 1980s, Welham Boys' School was a feeder school for Doon School and Mayo College. This ended when Surendra Kandhari, an old boy and former housemaster at Doon, became principal of Welham and transformed it into

17980-475: The school objected to the film and its distribution, labelling the bullying scenes "defamatory", and obtained a court order to delay its release. The DVD sales on campus were immediately halted. The dispute remains unresolved between the director and school authorities. On 22 October 2010, a commemorative postage stamp depicting the school's main building was released by the Indian Postal Service to mark

18125-439: The species found on campus. The school has devised an Architectural and Projects Committee, which ensures that any construction taking place on campus is done without disturbing the ecological balance of the wooded school grounds. The school practices a five-and-a-half-day week consisting of 40 periods (or "schools"), each of 40 minutes. The school day begins with boys having chhota haazri before doing calisthenics outdoors on

18270-504: The time of admission and develop great loyalty to them, since all intramural sports involve fierce competition between houses. Those who have a family history with a particular house are assigned to the same house. All houses have rooms, dormitories, kitchen, library, study rooms, and a Common Room for recreation. The school receives about 540 applications every year and admits 80 students in seventh grade and 14 in eighth grade , although these numbers have varied over time. Once admission

18415-420: The tuition fee to being fully funded. Amidst criticism from parents over rising fees, the last headmaster, Matthew Raggett , has stated that over 25% of Doon's students receive needs-based bursaries, and the school is working towards a completely needs-blind admission policy. The school is spread across a single campus covering approximately 72 acres (290,000 m ) flanked by Chakrata Road and Mall Road in

18560-487: The weekly masters' meeting, started by Foot, is called Chambers , a term taken from Eton, and evening "prep" (the boarding-school equivalent of homework) is called toye-time , a term taken from Winchester College . The school songs were deliberately chosen to include both Urdu poetry and Hindu bhajans as a way of emphasising Doon's secular ethos; similarly, the school prayers include a mix of Anglican hymns and Indian poetry representing different geo-linguistic regions of

18705-456: Was Eric Simeon , appointed in 1970. He came from a military background and laid great emphasis on disciplined living. Simeon's tenure of nine years was marked with financial difficulties for the school and the estate suffered, as the funds were not enough to maintain buildings and facilities. In 1971, Simeon introduced the 'Scholar's Blazer', an academic equivalent of the pre-existing prize 'Games Blazer', so that boys accorded academic excellence

18850-468: Was ₹ 1,375, and by September 1946, had risen to ₹ 1,800. The per-capita income of India, then largely an agricultural society, in 1947 has been recorded as ₹ 252. ... By 14 he should have learnt all the ordinary principles of social behaviour. He should know how to stand up and speak to a variety of different types of people – to his own mother, to someone else's mother, to his father, to his schoolmasters, to servants, to Mahatma Gandhi or to

18995-558: Was 80,180 as per figure from Census India report on 2011. There are 50,600 boys and 28,580 are girls. Total numbers of slums in Dehradun city and its Out Growth numbers 32,861 in which population of 158,542 resides. This is around 27.58% of total population of Dehradun city & its outgrowth which is 574,840. Hindi , the official state language, is the primary language in Dehradun. Native regional languages include Garhwali , Jaunsari and Kumaoni . Other major languages are Punjabi , Nepali , Bengali and Tibeto-Burman . Hindus form

19140-522: Was added in 1991) were named after the largest initial donors: Hyderabad House was named after Akbar Hydari , who secured a contribution from Nizam of Hyderabad 's government; Kashmir, after Maharajah Hari Singh , then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir ; Tata, after the Tata Trusts; and Jaipur, after Rai Bahadur Amarnath Atal arranged for contributions from the Durbar of Jaipur . Boys are assigned to houses at

19285-506: Was added to the original four houses. The next headmaster, John Mason , appointed in 1996, planned on making Doon more affordable to school pupils. The school did not raise its fees while Mason was in office. In the 1980s, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi , an alumnus, drew criticism from the media for appointing many old boys to his administration. His inner circle was labelled a "Doon Cabinet" or "Dosco Mafia", and Washington Post reported, The catch phrase around Delhi these days

19430-452: Was an alumnus. Abhinav Bindra , India's first Olympic gold medallist, and the mountaineer Nandu Jayal studied at the school. In arts and entertainment, Doon's alumni include Ali Fazal , Roshan Seth , Himani Shivpuri , Chandrachur Singh , Satyadeep Mishra , art collector Abhishek Poddar , and illusionist Neel Madhav . The Turner Prize -winning sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor and artist Vivan Sundaram also attended Doon. In business,

19575-747: Was created from the northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh under the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 . Dehradun was made its interim capital. Dehradun's Afghan connection dated back to the First Anglo-Afghan War , after which the Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Khan was exiled by the British to Dehradun. He stayed in Mussoorie for over 6 years. The Balahissar ward under the Mussoorie municipality has been named after

19720-635: Was established in the year 1906 hosts the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), the staff college that trains officers selected for the Indian Forest Service (IFS). Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of India which carries out wildlife research. The Doon School The Doon School (informally Doon School or Doon )

19865-651: Was first captured by Gorkha Kings , in January 1804, and then by the British. For its strategic value, in addition to the location of its principal service academy, the Indian Armed Forces maintain a considerable presence in Dehradun, at the Garhi Cantonment and Naval Station. The Uttarakhand Police is the primary law enforcement agency in the city. It is well connected and in proximity to Himalayan tourist destinations such as Mussoorie , Dhanaulti , Chakrata , New Tehri , Uttarkashi , Harsil , Chopta - Tungnath , Auli , and summer and winter hiking destinations like

20010-681: Was inspired by Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza , Italy. Many buildings on the campus have been designed by notable Indian architects or firms. The library was designed by Romi Khosla, the Biology block by Ram Sharma, teachers' residences by Anagram Architects, and the new Arts and Media Centre, which was inaugurated in October 2010 and shortlisted for the 2010 World Architecture News Education Award, by alumnus Sandeep Khosla The Arts and Media Centre houses painting, ceramic, sculpture, and textile studios, along with

20155-403: Was often made quite explicit that I was very welcome." While Foot and Martyn were determined to model Doon on Eton and Harrow, they both agreed that Doon should cater primarily for Indian boys—and not the sons of British expatriates—in order to create a uniquely Indian public school rather than a transplanted British institution. Foot did not want Doon to be considered elitist. In a paper surveying

20300-429: Was once an extensive canal network in the city, which irrigated many surrounding villages and produced a cooler microclimate in the region. The earliest canal, Rajpur canal, was laid in the 17th century but after Dehradun became the state capital in 2000, most of the heritage canals were covered or demolished to widen the city roads. Environmental groups have campaigned for the revival of the network, citing its benefit for

20445-604: Was once the Kabul Palace where Yakoob spent a few years of his life. The extended family and servants of the King were also relocated to Dehradun. The Afghan royal family maintained a presence in Dehra Dun. It was the birthplace of the second to last King of Afghanistan , Mohammed Nadir Shah . Two quaint palaces – the Kabul Palace in Dehradun and Bala Hissar Palace in Mussoorie – stand testimony to this connection with Afghanistan. They were built by these Afghan rulers in exile in India in

20590-662: Was sent by his father as an emissary to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi. Aurangzeb objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture ( Asa ki Var ) that stated, "the clay from a Musalman(Muslim)'s grave is kneaded into potter's lump", considering it an insult to Islam. Baba Ram Rai explained that the text was miscopied and modified it, substituting "Musalman" with "Beiman" (faithless, evil) which Aurangzeb approved. This led Guru Har Rai to bar his son from his presence, and name his younger son as his successor. Aurangzeb responded by granting Baba Ram Rai

20735-751: Was set up in 2001 and is headquartered in Ramnagar . Dehradun is known as "a town of schools". Notable private educational institutions in Dehradun include The Asian School , Cambrian Hall , Colonel Brown Cambridge School , Convent of Jesus and Mary , The Doon School , Ecole Globale International Girls' School , Marshall School , Rashtriya Indian Military College , SelaQui International School , St Joseph's Academy, Dehradun , St. Thomas' College , Welham Boys School and Welham Girls School , Indian Army Public Schools . Several Indian and international luminaries have attended these schools. In addition to these schools there are many other state board schools located in

20880-476: Was the culmination of some considerable lobbying and efforts by Satish Ranjan Das , a lawyer from Calcutta and advocate-general of Bengal , who in 1927 became a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council of Lord Irwin . He envisioned a new kind of Indian public school that was modelled on traditional British public schools , but was "distinctively Indian in their moral and spiritual outlook and open to all castes and communities". While Jawaharlal Nehru welcomed

21025-409: Was the subject of a 2018 Channel 4 documentary series called Indian Summer School , which was based on a social experiment to see if five under-performing British boys would thrive in Doon. In January 2020, Matthew Raggett stepped down as the tenth headmaster citing personal reasons. In March 2020, the school was shut down for the first time since its founding in 1935, and boys were sent home due to

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