Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Public School Khankot, Amritsar (Punjab)
Amritsar, the seat of spiritualism, symbol of cultural regeneration, with the history of missionary and voluntary services houses Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Public School at Khankot, affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi. It is a residential-cum-day scholar Co-educational School, located on Amritsar-Jalandhar Highway, near Duburji, about 8km. from Amritsar. Inter State Bus Terminal.
The School is spread over 13 acres of pollution free environment amidst lust green lawns, sprawling playgrounds and multi-coloured flower beds, providing an attractive congenial atmosphere for study. The school was established in the year 1976. It was founded for a cause of spreading quality education especially in the rural area.
The founder members of the school were men of great caliber from the field of religion, education, politics and medicine who served as formation heads of enlightenment and respratories of our ancient heritage.
Our History
Of the two constituents of our imposing educational complex in Khankot the first to come up was Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Public School in the year 1974. It was the brain child of a distinguished Canadian school teacher of Indian origian named S. Nirvair Singh who had his roots in Amritsar but had migrated to Canada in search of greener pastures. Having made his mark as a fine teacher in a leading school in Canada, he conceived the idea of raising a similar modern school in a suitable rural area of Amritsar.With this noble end in view he returned to Amritsar in 1973, accompanied by his wife who was also a teacher in Canada. He contacted his old bosom friend S. Bhan Singh, honorary secretary of SGPC,Amritsar and sought his active participation in the pursuit of his noble mission. S. Bhan Singh was also a close friend of mine.He introduced me to S. Nirvair Singh and they both desired my active help and support in their noble pursuit. I unhesitatingly offered my services for whatever they were worth.
They undertook an extensive tour of the country site of Amritsar and chose Khankot as the most suitable place for school of their dreams.They received a tremendous response from the farmers of Khankot, headed by S. Bhagwan Singh Pannu,who was the most popular farmer leader of the area. S. Bhagwan Singh was a retired high rank government official with an imposing personality and highly progressive and enlightened outlook on life. He extent every help to S. Nirvair Singh and procured a generous donation of 10 acres of land from the farmers to enable S. Nirvair Singh to make a beginning.
The new committee worked hard to put the school back on its rails. S. Bhagwan Singh Pannu's role under the new dispensation merits special mentioned. Of all the committee members he was the only one who resided permanently in Khankot. He treated the school as his second home. He spent most of his time helping and participating in all kinds of school activities and functionsAll his activities were shining examples of self-effacing humility and a selfless spirit of service. The President, Col. Gill, passed away in 19S4 after a highly constructive and eventful tenure of 10 years.The committee unanimously nominated me (Dr. Ranbir Singh) as his successor and abolished the office ofVice President.
Those were the days of political turmoil and terrorist depredations in our countryside. Our school too had its share of anxious moments, but thanks largely to the remarkable tact and presence of mind of S. Bhagwan Singh, the school came through this ordeal without much harm. S. Bhagwan Singh passed away in 199S after more than two decades of continuous dedicated service to the school.This was an incalculable loss for us,and we found ourselves frantically searching for someone of his caliberto take his place.
There was no dearth of suggestions from well wishers but deep down in my mind I felt strongly inclined in favour of Dr. Diljit Singh Pannu as the right choice for us. He had innumerable plus points in his favour. He too had his roots in Khankot itself, had highly prestigious acdemic qualifications and had made his mark as a distinguished columnist,administrator and a diplomat of high standing. I placed my viewpoint before the committee.They wholeheartedly endorsed it and authorized me to convey our offer to Dr. Diljit Singh Pannu. I did accordingly but was rather surprised that it did not evoke the response I expected from him. However, I had no great difficulty in bringing him round to realize that he was denying himself a golden opportunity of doing something worthwhile in the service of the needy of his own home soil. As a result he gracefully accepted my offer and thanked me for it, his only remaining wish being that his designation as "Manager" be reworded as "Managing Director".This was readily granted as an absolutely innocuous wish. From the very outset he set about his duties and responsibilities with singular zeal and confidence. He did not take long to familiarize himself with routine administrative matters and the working schedule of the teaching staff. He took special interest in construction work so as to ensure adequate accommodation for class room teaching as well as for hostel dwellers. Our magnificent assembly hall too is a standing tribute to his constructive zeal. ltwas his wont to bring In VlP's from time to time and obtain handsome donations from them.
This was the time when two eminent educationistsjoined us as honoured members of our managing committee.They were the ones who had also attended the inaugural ceremony of the school in 1974, namely, S. Darshan Singh, Former Registrar GND University and S.Jagdish Singh, Director, S.S.S.S. Educational Institutions. In the year 19SS a band of criminally inclined idlers of the area created a sensation in the form of a determined attempt to take forcible possession of the school premises.This was halted and foiled by prompt counter measures though not without some of us receiving our share of blows and bruises in the melee that ensued.
Our College of Education was the dream child of none other than Dr. Dilit Singh Pannu. It was a noble dream and we all heartily shared it with him and pursued it along with him.The dream came to fruition in the year 2007 to the greatjoy and happiness of all. Dr. EM. Sharma was appointed Principal. It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that despite its being still in its infancy our college of education is already emerged as a first rate centre of college education. In this short period, we were able to add 6 rooms and developed 5 laboratories to maintain best infrastructure in the institution. Dr. Diljit Singh Pannu passed away in 2007, after a highly distinguished and colourful tenure of about 10 years. His untimely demise was a telling blow for us.As if this was not enough, anothertelling blow befell us within a fortnight of the first, in the form of a determined massive raid on the school premises by the same old gang of idlers and with the same old intention of grabbing the premises by force. However, by the grace of God Almighty and the force of effective counter measures on our part, including a personal meeting of Smt. D. Pannu Ji,with the Chief Minister, Punjab,we came out of the crisis, even strongerthan before.
Aworthy son of a worthy father, Dr. G.B.S. Pannu was unanimously approved as Managing Director in place of his esteemed father, and his esteemed mother Smt. D. Pannu was nominated as an honoured member of the managing committee. S. Darshan Singh was designated Director of Education, S. Baljit Singh Sukarchakia as member in-charge of finance and planning. On the recommendation of the Managing Director, S.D.S. Bajwa joined us as a new honoured member of the managing committee. The serving school Principal, S. Sukhchain Singh Dhillon, left on voluntary retirement from service in June, 200S after a flaw less teaching career of more than three decades. He was succeeded by the present Principal, S.Jagjit Singh Randhwa in June, 2008.
This is where we stand today, free from all the horrowing trials and turbulences of the past ;This is the time and th
opportunity for us to look within and to brace ourselves for a new, truly sincere and dedicated approach in the service
our two precious homes of learning. Surely we can do this if we want to, provided that we in the management take go
care to maintain our environment of mutual trust and transparency amongst ourselves, as well as a spirit of service the
bereft of all petty cravings for office. In this context, I have come to look upon S. Darshan Singh as a role model of us. H
the one with a maximum load of onerous responsibilities on his shoulder, but he has never once complained or boa
about it, or raised any demands. His keen interest in the day to day working of our teaching staff as well‘as a feeli
concern fortheir personal needs and wants reminds me of similar qualities in S. Bhagwan Singh Pannu.
Dr. RANBIR SINGH (PRESIDENT)