Hyderabad: From five boys and six teachers in 1923 to 2,812 boys and girls now, one of the oldest and most prestigious public school in the city, the Hyderabad Public School-Begumpet, has come a long way.
Prominent alumni of the school includes Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Union HRD minister Pallam Raju, member of House of Lords (England) Lord Karan Billimoria, Canadian business tycoon Prem Watsa, Abode System CEO Shantanu Narayen, Microsoft president Satya Nadella, popular sports personality Harsha Bhogle, Tollywood star Akkineni Nagarjuna, MPs G. Vivekanand and Asaduddin Owaisi. Former President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first president of the HPS Society.
To mark the 90th anniversary of its founding, the alumni of HPS-Begumpet has planned week-long celebratory events starting December 22.
Rooted in its rich heritage and values, HPS aims to provide holistic education, helping students to achieve their potential and equipping them to meet the challenges of life.
Established in 1923 as Jagirdars Colleges, the school is situated in the heart of the city on a lush 150 acre campus at Begumpet.
The heritage buildings of the school were awarded the Intach Heritage Award in 2000 and 2013. The school currently has a strength of 2,800 students from Class I to XII and is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certification Examinations (CISCE).
HPS principal Col. R.S. Khatri, on Wednesday said the 15,000 strong alumni body of the school has been spearheading the 90th year celebration week, whichwould be a thrilling, exhilarating amalgam of nostalgia and celebrations.
Addressing a press conference here, Col. Khatri said that the celebrations will being with a ‘vintage car drive and showcase’ on December 22.
It will be a rare opportunity for automobile enthusiasts to admire vintage cars, which would be open to public from 9 am to 2 pm.
A ‘school concert,’ a cultural extravaganza, will be held on December 23 from 6 pm to 8.30 pm. This will be exclusively for students, parents, alumni and staff.
On December 24, ‘Eagle Carnival’ will pay tribute to the 90 years of this premier institution. This will be open to the public from 3 pm to 9 pm. On December 25, the ‘Alumni sports reunion,’ an annual event exclusively for alumni will be held from 8 am to 5 pm.
On December 26, the ‘Alumni Gala Dinner,’ exclusively for alumni and HPS staff will be held from 7 pm to 1. A ‘science, art and craft exhibition’ will be organised on December 27, exclusively for students, parents, alumni and staff from 9 am to 3 pm.
The celebrations will conclude on December 28 with the ‘90th Year Celebration Concert,’ a live musical extravaganza by famous singer Adnan Sami and his band of 12 musicians which will be open to public from 7 pm onwards.
"We have decided to donate all the surplus proceeds from the concert to the Eagles Chest, a fund, created for the medical aid of retired and present staff members of the school," Col. Khatri said.
