Page 247 - EW September 2024

tion was tragically cut short by the
Covid-19 virus three years ago, is
equally impressive, indicative of the
solid foundation on which BKS and
his highly-qualified survivor wife Dr.
Silpi Sahoo built this new genre no-
expense-spared K-12 school. SAIS
has been ranked India’s #1 day-cum-
boarding school for five years con-
secutively.
Right at the top of the 2024-25
league table of India’s 185 most well-
known day-cum-boarding schools,
there is little change from last year
with the superbly-equipped Green-
wood High, Bengaluru, construct-
ed by the renowned Salarpuria Sattva
Group which has developed over 50
million sq.ft of avant-garde commer-
cial and residential property in penin- Chandresh Shah & Jyoti Agarwal (centre): unique open door culture
sular India, retaining its #2 position
(and #1 in South India) for the third a very generous scholarship scheme. pur) with him when he was appointed
year in succession. Under our Bijoy Kumar Sahoo Schol- Principal of the Sanskaar Valley
However the top table pecking arship programme, almost 50 percent School, Bhopal (SVS) in February
order has been re-arranged by the of our children have been awarded this year, is equally happy that SVS
dramatic promotion of the Sans- means-tested scholarships with some has been promoted to top table with
kaar Valley School, Bhopal (SVS, meritorious students awarded full joint #2 rank this year.
estb.2006), Madhya Pradesh’s top- scholarship. Our highest score under “SVS has been ranked among In-
ranked school for several years, to community service is also well-de- dia’s Top 10 schools and #1 in Mad-
joint #2 this year. The routinely Top served. Under our BKS 100 Libraries hya Pradesh for over a decade and this
10 ranked DPS, Vasant Kunj, Delhi Project, we have established 34 fully- promotion to top table was overdue.
at #3 (promoted from #4 in 2023-24), provided libraries in state government I’m especially pleased with our high
jointly with the reclusive Pallikoodam schools,” says Dr. Silpi Sahoo, an scores under the teacher develop-
School, Kottayam (3), Neerja Modi alumna of Utkal University, Cuttack, ment and co-curricular education
School, Jaipur at #4 (5), followed co-promoter of SAIS (4,110 students parameters because we invest heavily
by the always high-ranked DPS, R.K. mentored by 340 teachers) and Chair- in teacher training, and for co-curric-
Puram, Delhi at #5 (2) which has person of the Bhubaneswar-based SAI ular education, we have constructed a
ceded ground this year, complete the Group of Institutions which includes purpose-built complex to encourage
Top 5. the state-of-the art SAI Residential children to develop their performing
“This is validation of the excellent School, Cuttack and SAI Angan Pre- arts intelligences and skills in new-age
foundation that my late husband Bi- school. These new genre K-12 institu- vocations including design and sound
joy bequeathed to us to continue to tions have transformed the state of recording. As for our top score under
build upon. The most enduring leg- Odisha (pop.46 million) and its capi- the leadership parameter, the credit
acy he left us is motivated calm and tal Bhubaneswar in particular from an should accrue entirely to our top man-
composed leadership which provides education backwater into a modern agement team — I have taken charge
a patient hearing to all SAIS stake- education hub. only recently — led by our Director
holders. This has translated into our Chandresh Shah, a forestry Jyoti Agarwal, who has created a
school according high importance to and environmental studies alumnus unique open door culture with a sharp
the mental and emotional well-being of Kumaon University, Nainital who focus on educating special needs chil-
of our children, and I am pleased to brought a wealth of teaching and ad- dren. As a result, SVS is a happy
learn that we have been awarded a min experience (Sherwood College, school with high importance accorded
high score under this important pa- Nainital, Assam Valley School, Balip- to the mental and emotional develop-
rameter. I am also pleased that our ara, Prakriti Valley School, Dehradun, ment of our children as indicated by
highest score is under the value for New Digamber School, Indore, AB- our high score under this parameter,”
money parameter because we have VPS Bhubaneswar and DPS, Chattar- says Shah. Currently, the CISCE and

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