DAV students perform at a function in Hazaribagh on Thursday evening. Picture by Vishvendu Jaipuriar

A cultural potpourri and celebration of achievements past and present marked the 20th annual day of DAV Public School, Hazaribagh, on Thursday.

Besides Ved mantra, group dances, skits in English and Hindi and others, as well as some peppy anchoring by Class XII students Shreyashi, Harsita Rashmi and Pragati, the evening saw Hazaribagh DC Manish Ranjan as chief guest felicitating student achievers and English teachers S. Srivastava, Kiran Mishra and Ashwini Pathak.

In his address, Ranjan also asked students to face problems head-on. “One can be free of problems only in the grave. God has given us life to face challenges. The more seriously we do so, the greater our possibility of success,” he said.

L.R. Saini, regional director of DAV Public Schools and Colleges (Ranchi zone), said the school “tries its best to produce children who are responsible, honest, well-mannered and intelligent citizens”.

Principal Ashok Kumar summed up the major milestones in the school’s “20 eventful years” across academics and extra-curricular activities.

“We have received a high rating from the DAV college managing committee. Our school has been placed in the very good category for class XII for the past four years,” he said.

The principal also congratulated alumni Ravi Ranjan and Piyush Agrawal, the former for becoming an IPS officer this year and the latter for earning the notice of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and President Pratibha Patil for his device that saves clothes from getting wet. He also mentioned Ananya, a Class X student, who wrote an award-winning essay on Rabindranath Tagore, besides other students who made the school proud.

“I must mention alumnus Anvita Priyam of our first CBSE batch who topped the state in undivided Bihar,” he said, adding that more than 50 alumni were in the IITs, about 30 in medical colleges and five in the IIMs.

He also spoke on the cradle’s social commitments, reflected in its sustained campaigns for afforestation, blood donation and others.

Besides parents and students, those in the gathering included district and sessions judge Rajesh Kumar Dubey, principals of other DAV schools and BSF commandant Rajesh Kumar.

Faculty member B.D. Shastri proposed the vote of thanks.