SWARNIMA 2021-22 VOLUME XXXV
When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love. - Marcus Aurelius This year we have a lot to be grateful for! The pandemic not only changed our lives, but also impacted the way we look at the world. We learnt the art of resilience, surmounting all odds. We realized how much we stand to lose when our freedom is restricted and our health threatened. As life slowly returns to normalcy, we must show our gratitude to all and be thankful for the blessings God has showered on us. Our endeavour in this edition of ‘Swarnima’ is to express our gratitude to all the frontline workers, like doctors, hospital staff, social workers and volunteers who stood by us in these tough times. ‘Swarnima’ was first published thirty-five years ago and here we are with yet another issue of the school magazine. The canvas of memories that we have preserved for thirty-five years shall continue to be our foundation for eternity. The creation of this year’s ‘Swarnima’ started with the formation of the Editorial Team, an empty inbox and young minds full of ideas. Through the journey, in the next few months, we learnt as we created - sifting through articles and poems, as we proofread and edited. It was a roller coaster ride, but we will always be grateful for the ‘pages’ it has added to the story of our lives and ‘weapons’ to our arsenal. “Gratitude is the most underrated emotion. The more we show gratefulness for what we are blessed with, the more we open up to receiving from the Universe”. Let us all remember this and be thankful and benevolent in our daily lives. The Editorial Team wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to Principal Mrs Poonam S Rampal for her guidance and unstinted support. We extend our sincere thanks to Vice Principal Mrs Rashmi Soota, HM (Primary Wing) Mrs Ruchi Agrawal and HM (Special Wing) Mr Amresh Chandra for their support. Editor ' s Desk
We also wish to thank Mrs Alka Singh (HOD-English), Mr Onkar Singh Dharwal (HODHindi/Sanskrit), Mrs Anupam Nautiyal (TGT-English), Mrs Jyotika Chopra (TGT-English), Dr Archana Kaushik (TGT-Hindi), Mr Titas Das (Art teacher), Mrs Geeta Nair (PRT), Mrs Bharati Singh (PRT), Mrs Shefali Paliwal (Special Educator), Mrs Suman Puria (Special Educator) and Mr Dhiraj Bhasin (Special Educator) for their guidance and assistance while creating this issue of ‘Swarnima’. Content Editors (English) : Content Editor (Hindi) : Akanksha Chaudhary, XII-B Arnav Varshney, X-A Sarthak Bagai, XII-C Front & Back Cover : Mudit Bhalla, X-C Designing Team : Debangshu Roy, XII-B Vansh Mediratta, XI-A Avi Chauhan, XI-A Prajwal, XI-A Maulik Pandey, X-A Savit Dabral, X-A Bhavya Dhariwal, X-A Mudit Bhalla, X-C Our Illustrators : Madhav Menon, XII-A Saptangshu Datta, XII-A G Jighnesh, XII-A K Bhavika , X-B Anika Vashistha , IX-D
The beauty will fade, And the face will change, The position will shift, And the place will change; Today someone we may displace, Tomorrow we may lose the race, This is what is life, That we all have to brace; Time is moving fast, No one knows how long ours will last, Every one is in the queue, Whether first, middle or last. WAVES OF CHANGE In this world so transient All we have is ‘now’, Pointless to fret over or feel bereft, Focus on life’s why, what and how; That nothing lasts for ever, The easiest lesson to learn the hardest way, Embrace the ups and downs, Must enjoy each and every day; Widen the perspective, And expand the inner space, Accept all change. If can’t keep pace, Harmonise the acts and listen to what the mind says, Let’s stay simple, upright and maintain the grace. The school is greatly honoured and appreciative of the kind gesture of Air Vice Marshal Rajeev Sharma Vishisht Seva Medal, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Education) and Executive Vice Chairman, Board of Governors to be a Guest Writer for the school magazine 'Swarnima'. AVM Rajeev Sharma VSM is a gifted writer and a wonderful poet apart from being a distinguished officer of the Indian Air Force. This one is a philosophical poem from his anthology of poems.
6 May 2022
22 May 2022
Dear Students The 35th edition of our school magazine ‘Swarnima’ with the theme of ‘Gratitude and Thanksgiving' is ready for release. It reminds me of the story of a poor, blind boy. One day the boy was sitting on a street begging for alms with a signboard that read, ‘I am blind. I cannot see, so help me’. People passed by and the kind ones dropped coins in his hat which was lying beside him, turned upside down. By afternoon a few coins had been collected. Then a gentleman came by, took the signboard from the boy, scribbled something on the other side and went away. He came around late in the evening to check on the boy. His hat had many coins and had become quite heavy. Sensing that the same gentleman had come, the boy asked him, ‘Sir, was it you who took the signboard from me in the morning and wrote something on it?’ The gentleman said, ‘Yes, I wrote -Today is a beautiful day. But, I cannot see it’. Both the messages said the truth. While the first message said that the boy was blind and needed help, the second message made the people realize that they should be grateful as they could see. While leading our lives, we are so caught up with the troubles that we find it difficult to maintain an attitude of gratitude. But we must remind ourselves that gratitude is a heart-centered approach to being at peace with yourself. The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time. We hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give and by expressing gratitude, our life becomes enriched. Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you and give thanks continuously. You may be the fortunate one to have what many others don’t have. All the things have contributed to your progress, so you should include all things in your gratitude and appreciation. I believe that gratitude is the greatest of all virtues as many other virtues are offshoots of it. When you appreciate someone, it leads to loving one another and fosters friendship. When you love your work, it leads to enhanced and exemplary performance. Then you get praised for your work which enhances your self-esteem. Dear children, when we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in. So all of you should try to live a life full of humility, intellectual curiosity and never stop learning. Congratulations to the Editorial Committee for their efforts in bringing out yet another wonderful issue of ‘Swarnima’. Be happy and humble. God bless you all! Poonam S Rampal Principal Principal's Message
Dear Readers It is after almost two years that the schools have reopened and it is heartening to see that the teaching-learning process has resumed offline. It is wonderful to be back in school and we thank God that despite the difficult times, we are all safe. The pandemic caught us unawares and the entire world was in the grip of something unheard and unseen. We must be thankful as we didn’t know anything and we got the opportunity to learn. We learnt to adapt to the circumstances we were in. We should be grateful for the difficult times because it helped us to grow. Strange, but it is true that difficulties and challenges build one’s strength and character. Gratitude is the greatest gift to humanity. If you are grateful, you can cope better with negative emotional experiences such as grief and sadness. You will have a more optimistic perspective on life and your feelings will be in control. It is very important to count your blessings and be grateful. You have what many others don’t. When you thank someone, you feel blessed. It is gratitude that encourages the formation of stronger relationships, closer social bonds and improved psychological well-being. It shows you how to give your life the meaning it deserves. You grow by appreciating the positive impact others have on your life. If students learn to be grateful, then it enhances their academic performance and there is improvement in classroom behaviour also. Someone has helped you, Someone has supported you, Someone has been kind to you, Someone gave you a seat, Someone helped you with schoolwork, Someone stood beside you when no one was around, Thank your saviour for the thoughtful gesture. I also believe that you should express gratitude to not only living beings but also to God and Nature. Say a prayer of thanks, take care of Nature and be in harmony with it as we share a symbiotic relationship with Nature. Being appreciative reinforces your relationship with others and strengthens interpersonal bonds which results in a cheerful and content society. Dear children, use the opportunities that come your way to excel in whatever you do. Be indebted to all those who help you to accomplish your dreams. God bless! Rashmi Soota Vice Principal Vice Principal's Message
OM SRIVASTAVA 97.80% JASMEET SINGH DHILLON 97.60% PIYUSH GANDHI 97.40% DIKSHA SINGH 97.40% CLASS X RESULTS (2021-2022) TOTAL STUDENTS APPEARED STUDENTS PASSED FIRST DIVISION SECOND DIVISION 184 170 184 14
PCB+PSY AAYUSHI SINGH 99.0% NAMAN MAHESHWARI 98.20% MANASVINI SINGH SAMBYAL 92.80% HIMANI TIWARI 95.40% STUDENTS PASSED TOTAL STUDENTS APPEARED FIRST DIVISION HIGHEST COMMERCE STREAM HIGHEST SCIENCE STREAM HIGHEST HUMANITIES STREAM HUMANITIES PCM+CS CLASS XII RESULTS (2021-2022) COMMERCE 153 495 153 491 150 477
ACHIEVEMENTS Arjun Gaur of Class X-E participated in MUN4IMACT and received a Special Mention (7.0) in UNESCO COMMITTEE-Gujarat Model United Nations. He was a delegate of Thailand in UNESCO. Bhargav Singh Bora of Class VII was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his outstanding artwork. His artwork was showcased in the First International Virtual Art Exhibition organized by Maitreyi college on 6th Jun 2021. Paintings of 18 more students from AFGJI were exhibited in the exhibition. All received Certificates of Recognition. In ‘Rendezvous 2021’, organized by Air Force Bal Bharati School, students of our school took part in various events. In the competition ‘Millennial Ministrel’, K.V. Harsheel Nair of Class VIIIA bagged the first position. He had written a modern rendition of the classic fairy tale, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. Senior Wing Cambridge School, Indirapuram organized ‘Model United Nations’ (MUN) where Madhav Menon of Class XII- D won the ‘Best delegate award in UNEP’.
Sneha Roy Chowdhury of Class XII-A bagged a silver award in The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Writing Competition 2021 conducted by the Royal Commonwealth society in the Senior category. Anuvanshika Shrivastava of Class XII-A won the second prize in Poetry Writing and Recitation contest ‘Unraveling the Moment’, in TAFS fest held on 29th and 30th June 2021 . Vaishant Sharma and Ujjwal Pandey both of Class XII-A won the second prize in the ‘Hunky Brain’ competition in the Annual Fest ‘Rendezvous’ organized by Air Force Bal Bharati School in August 2021. Abhinav Mishra of Class X-A won the third prize in E-Expressions, an Inter-school competition held at Indraprastha International School, Dwarka. Code2win competition (Initiative between Eupheus Learning and Robo Garden). Aryameher Bakhtiary, Hemang Vats, Aaditri Pandey, Debangshu Roy and Vaibhav Gupta won the school level competition on 12th December and qualified for the National level Code2win competition held on 18th Dec 21. In the ‘Food Salvatio’ event Soumil XII-B, Debangshu Roy XI-B and Akanksha Chaudhary XI-B won the third position in the English Event ‘Infonomica’ organized by Bal Bharti Public School, where they designed a Newsletter.
69 students of AFGJI received Appreciation Certificates from Hindi Bhasha Academy for their outstanding performance in Hindi subject in Class 10th Board (2020). In the Zonal Athletic competition Sarthak Bagai of Class XI and Nishant Jha & Krish Kataria of Class X were declared 2nd runners up in Zonal Badminton under 19 Boys category. Bharghav Singh Bora of Class VII won the first position in an Online Painting Competition titled, ‘Rendezvous’ held on 20th August 2021 organized by Air Force Bal Bharati School. Debangshu Roy bagged the 2nd position in ना द–the Solo Hindustani Classical singing competition in AURA 2021, the Annual Cultural Fest organized by Cambridge School Indirapuram. In ‘Anubhav’ an Inter school event held in August 2021, Ayesha of Class XII won the consolation prize in the event ‘Mukimono’. Shaurya Karmakar of Class VIII-D won the third position in a video challenge organized by the Embassy of Sweden. Sanchit Agarwal secured the 2nd Position in the event ‘Property Expo’ at BIZECO held on 24th Jul 2021 by DPS, Rohini.
Education World published Education World India School Rankings (EWISR) 2021- 22. AFGJI has been placed at rank 19 at City level, 50 at State Level & 90 at India level. To compile EWISR 2021- 22, 11,458 sample respondents – educationists, principals, teachers, SECA (socio economic category A) parents and senior school students – in 28 cities countrywide were interviewed. The Annual EWISR is the world’s largest schools ranking survey. Ranking in ‘The Times of India’ dated 27 Sep 2021- AFGJI has been placed at No. 10 in Leaders category in Southwest-Zone in the Times School Survey 2021 as per the Research Methodology followed by Times of India. In Anubhav 2021 organized by ASTE-AF School, Kristlee Laiphrakram (V -B) won the 1st prize in the Event - Trash Treasure, Anant Pandey (V C) won the 1st prize in the event, 'Quixotism' and Aaditri Pandey (V C) won the Consolation prize in ‘Enchanting Verses’. In ‘Ignited Minds’ organized by Indraprastha International School, Aaditri Pandey (V C) won the Consolation prize in the event, ‘Nanhe Fankar’. In Rendezvous 2021 organized by AFBBS, Kristlee Laiphrakram (V B) won the 1st prize in the event, ‘Toon Satire’ and Addvik Srivastava (III D) won the 3rd prize in the event, ‘Katha Kavya’. Primary Wing
Eva Singh (I C) won the 1st prize in the Folk Dance competition and Kristlee Laiphrakram (V B) won the 1st prize in Mascot Making in ‘Coalesce 2.0’ organized by Hansraj Public School. Samaira (V A) won the 2nd prize in the ‘Time To Mime’ in Tagfest 21 organized by Tagore International School. In Spell Bee International, Advaith Krishna (III D) qualified for National Level and Satvik Arya (III A) reached Level 2. Kristlee Laiphrakram (V B) won the 1st prize in the event ‘Doodle Art’ in Ebullience 2021 organized by Vishva Bharti Public School. In the Discovery School Super League organized by Byju’s, Abdullah Sariq (V B) and Satvik Arya (III A) reached the state level. In the State Level Taekwondo Championship, Supriyo Dutta (V B) won the bronze medal. Teacher's Achievements Mrs Sonia Gupta(TGT-Social Sciences) was awarded All India Air Force Schools Best Teacher Award in TGT category for the academic year 2020-21 by Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari PVSM AVSM VM ADC , Chief of the Air Staff.The award was given during the Inter Command cultural fest on 1st November 2022.
Mrs Vani Gupta(Occupational therapist) was awarded All India Air Force Schools Best Teacher Award in Special educator category for the academic year 2020- 21 by Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari PVSM AVSM VM ADC, Chief of the Air Staff. The award was given during Inter Command cultural fest on 1st November 2022. Ms Mohini Arora (HOD - Computer Science) participated as a resource person in two webinars conducted by the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) - NCERT, New Delhi. The first one titled ‘Creating Interactive Videos with EdPuzzle’ was held on 3rd November 2020 and the second one titled ‘Understanding Internet of things (IoT) Vulnerabilities' was held on 17th September 2021. She was also the resource person in a virtual workshop organized by CIET - NCERT for developing video tutorials for ICT in Education courses. Besides this, she has been an active member of the ‘Textbook Development Committee’ of NCERT and co-authored the textbooks, ‘Informatics Practices’ and ‘Computer Science’ for Class XII. Mr Dhiraj Bhasin delivered a lecture as a resource person on the ‘Role of Special educator in CP’ in a 2-day CRE workshop organized by CRC Lucknow under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt of India from 17.02.22 to 18.02.22. The seminar was attended by 200 professionals across India.He also delivered a lecture on ‘Functional Academics’ in a 3 - day CRE workshop which dealt with ‘Curriculum Planning and Development for CWSN’ organized by the Institute of Rehabilitation from 24.02.22 to 26.02.22.
Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute, Subroto Park, New Delhi hosted the 11th IQF Inter-school Mono Act Event and IQF Swami Vivekananda Quiz on 21st, 22nd and 23rd July 2021 under the guidance of the Principal, Mrs Poonam S Rampal. The English Mono Act was an online competition that was streamed live through Streamyard on YouTube and was co-hosted by Indus Quality Foundation, a notfor-profit organisation that believes in the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and is doing pioneering work in improving the quality of people’s lives in our country. The event was open to students from Classes VIII and IX in Category I and Classes X to XII in Category II. The students who participated in this Mono Act were from 60 schools in Delhi-NCR and other cities of India whereas, in the IQF Quiz, 2271 students and professionals participated from around the world.
The Special Guest was Swami Bodhamayanandaji, Director of Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, Hyderabad. Through the years, Swamiji has conducted workshops and seminars on Human Excellence, Personal Management, Vedanta and Personality Development. He has also authored a book titled ‘Mind and Modern Problems’. The Quiz also witnessed overseas participation from countries like the US, Oman and Australia. The distinguished Chief Guest for the event was Mr Shobit Arya, Founder and Publisher-Wisdom Tree, a leading publishing house known for innovation and creativity. The participants were given three themes based on Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts and sayings. They were given two minutes to present their Mono Act in English and were judged by an esteemed panel of judges. A lot of efforts were put in by the participating schools, teachers, parents and the students. The three exceptional performers in Category I were Rushil Vij from Indraprastha International School, Vibhuti Satija from Mata Jai Kaur Public School, New Delhi and Pia Gujral from Amity International School, Gurugram. In Category II, the winners were Rohit Shukla from Tagore International School, East of Kailash, Shreyambika Narayanan from Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vasant Vihar and Riddhi Garg from DLF Public School, Sahibabad. Prizes were given to them and certificates of participation were awarded to all the students. The IQF Quiz also got an overwhelming response and 607 participants received Certificates of Excellence. The school took up this opportunity in order to give a platform to the students to showcase their dramatic and linguistic skills and to move one step ahead in the direction of spiritual education.
The Futurz Club of Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute hosted the 10th Annual Interschool IT Event- Z3NITH 2K21. The theme adopted for this year was ‘SPECTRUM’ and six electrifying events were organised for the budding student entrepreneurs, content creators, gamers and programmers. Step Up Start-ups: It showcased the creativity, vision and technical skills of students as they presented their start-up ideas and then launched their own publicity campaigns by developing social media handles, websites and print ads. Impromptu Commissions: Students created a client specific graphic design using photoshop and displayed their photo editing skills. The 30 seconds Club: One-of-a-kind stop motion animation event for grades VI to VIII. Z3NITH 2K21|
Thrideye.mp4 : The movie makers and YouTubers presented their video making cum editing skills. Knockathon.py: The participants competed for an online Python programming event. Frag League: A gaming event for the enthusiastic online gamers. 581 students from more than 50 schools participated enthusiastically for the preliminary and the final rounds held from 27th July to 29th July 2021. The Closing Ceremony was held on 30th July 2021, where the results of all the events were declared. The prestigious Z3NITH CUP was won by DPS, RK Puram.
Alumni Section INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNUS DR VIBHORE SINGHAL The school hosted an online interview with one of their alumni Dr Vibhore Singhal (Class of 1994) Senior Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon and Unit Head in Venkateshwar Hospital, Dwarka.With an experience of 27 years in the medical field, he has performed more than 10000 major orthopaedic surgeries. The meeting took place on Microsoft Teams on 27th March 2022 at 11 am. Vidushi Malik and Soumil from Class XII-B (2021-22) and Vriddhi Bhardwaj, Debangshu Roy and Akanksha Chaudhary from Class XII-B (2022-23) had a wonderful time interacting and learning from their senior. The Principal, Mrs Poonam S Rampal addressed the Meet and welcomed Dr Vibhore to the session. Mrs Kusum Kapoor (HOD-Biology) reminisced about her experience as Dr Vibhore's Biology teacher. Mrs Alka Singh (HOD-English) organised the online event and proposed the Vote of Thanks. Mrs Mithu Basu helped in organising the session which was attended by around 150 students and teachers.
Debangshu: During childhood, who were you most comfortable sharing your secrets with and why? Dr Vibhore: I was more comfortable with my school friends and cousins. We didn’t have that kind of environment in our family, where we could interact like friends. So, they used to give me guidelines. I used to talk to my batchmates and cousins.
AIPMT Vriddhi: How did you ensure your focus and perseverance when you were preparing for your AIPMT examination? Dr Vibhore: When I was in Classes XI and XII, I discovered myself. In my early years, I wasn’t a topper. I was just an average student, doing things well but never aspiring for something. In Class VIII, when Kusum Ma’am used to teach me, I used to think about whatever Ma'am used to teach us. After that, I used to go to the library and read the encyclopaedia which made sure that I was going to take Biology as a subject. So when I was clear about my choice, I started working hard for it. I want to say that you all should discover yourself first. Akanksha: Medical trends are perpetual. What made you go for Orthopaedic surgery? Dr Vibhore: From the very beginning, I was very sure that I would go with my perception. I like doing fine work and this is what makes the difference. So surgery was the one thing that made a difference and I was very sure about it. That’s why I chose Orthopaedic surgery.
Vidushi: What challenges did you face as a doctor and as an Orthopaedic surgeon during the time of the pandemic? Dr Vibhore: The pandemic was really bad, the worst you can imagine for humankind. I still have really bad memories about it and we will be haunted for years by the way isolation wards were. People were infected and ill for a few days and then they would go walking or doing their normal routine. Suddenly they would fall and break their bones. Full staff was not there because they were also infected and hospitals had an extra load of patients. The worst part was that they didn’t even realize that they are COVID infected. Soumil: How do you feel Medical Sciences have contributed or can contribute to breaking the vicious cycle of many stereotypes and social evils? Dr Vibhore: Well, Medical Sciences do break stereotypes everywhere. For example, there is a myth that if you drink milk, there will be pus from your wound site. We have to keep telling our patients to drink it, that it is good for health. So yes, some things can be contrary to the public view and are broken down by Science. Even language plays a significant role in this.
Debangshu: Can you share that one moment from your childhood in which you felt a sense of accomplishment? Dr Vibhore: I was in Class XI when our teacher Mrs Sarcar announced that a few students had to prepare a speech and speak in front of the class. I was an introvert back then, so I decided to skip school that day. But the moment I thought that, my teacher told me specifically that I should not be absent and I had to speak the next day, I took it as a challenge and prepared a speech and spoke in front of the whole class. That was the moment I felt a sense of accomplishment because I was very afraid of public speaking. Vriddhi: Sir, while preparing for NEET many students tend to pile up different books from different institutions and end up getting confused. What is your advice to them? Dr Vibhore: I think that if someone has the capacity of widening their horizon, then they can do it by reading different books but then it is not necessary for Medical Entrance as the topic is limited. So stick to NCERT and probably one additional book for reference for each subject and go into the depth of every topic. Also practice previous years papers because 60% of your paper will be from them only. After that, you can do extra if you feel like. Akanksha: During COVID, life was immobile which led to an increase in bone health issues. What is that ‘Bone mantra’ that we all can follow to have a healthy body?
Dr Vibhore: Exercise. You have to be crazy about exercise. Not food, not medicines, just exercise. Vidushi: What are the most common and least common surgeries performed in orthopaedics in India? Dr Vibhore: The most common one is total knee replacement and Orthopaedic ACV construction and the least common are limb-lengthening or cosmetic procedures used by people who want to gain height. Soumil: Doctor, recently I came across this quote from a web series based on the life of medical students that I saw on YouTube. ‘Ranks don’t decide what kind of a person you are. A person decides what that rank means for him or her.’ How competitive is the environment of ranking in medical colleges and how much does it matter at the end of the day? Dr Vibhore: Well yes, ranks do matter. You are supposed to have a certain set of ranks to achieve what you aspire for. Debangshu: We all have that one movie that inspires us during our childhood and we try to act like the protagonist of that movie. Which movie inspired you and why? Dr Vibhore: I don’t watch movies to inspire me and I feel no one should because movies are for entertainment, not for motivation. I can tell you that my favourite movie is 'Andaz Apna Apna' but I don’t see anything in that to get inspired. So I feel that no one should watch a movie to take inspiration from it.
Vriddhi: Please enlighten us with your views regarding reservations in admissions to Medical Colleges. Dr Vibhore: I don’t think there is a need for reservations. Once you have done PG, you are capable enough and hence don’t need any reservation. Akanksha: With the technological shift, even hospitals shifted online. Kindly share your experience with online consultation. Dr Vibhore: Okay, so online consultation is something we do as an alternative. Online consultations can be good for people having minor problems but when it comes to major problems like cancer, you have to meet a doctor offline. So online consultation is good for some and may not be good for some. Some people consulted me online from abroad and it was beneficial for them but not for everyone because sometimes problems cannot be identified by seeing or consulting online. I want to provide people with a centre, where they won't have to pay for their treatment. Soumil: In the doctor’s oath, other than for medical etiquette, we find mention of injustice, privacy and equality. How does that shape a doctor’s duty? Dr Vibhore: Well, that is the main point which makes us class apart from other human beings. Since we have lives in our hands, we cannot do injustice to a patient. These things definitely shape the duties of a doctor and give us a sense of pride. We are in a profession that makes us different.
Debangshu: In school, were you more of a frontbencher type or backbencher type? Dr Vibhore: I was a middle bencher. Vriddhi: Among all your teachers who inspired you the most and why? Dr Vibhore: I would take Kusum ma’ams name because she inspired me the most because of the way she taught us Biology. She put all the Biology inside our brains and made us learn and do research on that topic. Akanksha: For me, the best part of Medical college is learning with the cadavers. Do you recall a humorous incident from around the dissection table? Dr Vibhore: Well, this is where I would differ. Yeah, we used to do a lot of funny things as kids in our first year in MBBS. But when I went to Thailand for workshops, there I saw people donating their bodies and they would get special grants and wishes for donating their bodies for Medical Science. They used to pray and have 2 minutes of silence for them. I felt very bad for the way we treated our cadavers. So I was very ashamed about it and now I think that there is nothing humorous about it. Vidushi: Doctor, as per you which was the most difficult or tricky surgery to perform? Dr Vibhore: There are a lot of tricky surgeries but the one I find the most difficult is the Turner blasting where your ankle acts as a knee.
Soumil: You were an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics at the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences. How has teaching influenced your view towards life as a doctor and did it help you put yourself in the shoes of your teachers at Golden Jubilee? Dr Vibhore: Absolutely. I took that job as a challenge because I was afraid of public speaking. So when I took it up as a challenge, I had to speak in front of 150 students which developed my speaking skills. I think that teaching is a wonderful job and also the most important one. Debangshu: What nicknames did your friends give you? Dr Vibhore: No, I was not given any nicknames. But I got a title after passing out from school and it was “Honesty is the best policy”. Vriddhi: Sir, in your college life were you interested in any other co-curricular activities? How did you manage time for them with your studies? Dr Vibhore: Yes, my school life helped me a lot in this because I feel that activities are very crucial for character building. I used to play the guitar. It was a mental relief for me and I used to be the main choreographer for my college events. I also used to have an interest in trekking. Akanksha: If you were given a chance to talk to your younger self, what would be that one thing you would tell him? Dr Vibhore: If I had a chance to talk to my younger self, I would reassure him not to be afraid as you have already discovered yourself and just do the right thing. I would advise him to be himself.
Vidushi: What are the new techniques and technologies used in Orthopaedic surgery? Dr Vibhore: 3D technology and 3D infrastructure things. Also, robotics is coming up. As of now, there is no evidence that robotics can help in Orthopaedic surgeries but I believe in the future, robotics will help in doing new surgeries in new ways. As of now, we use 3D infrastructure things. Soumil: Is doing MBBS enough? There are other degrees people aim for after they get their MBBS. What are those options? Dr Vibhore: One of my friends did Biotechnology from JNU. So Biotechnology is one branch where you can do your post-graduation. Then you can do other things like there are many doctors becoming IAS officers and lawyers. So even after becoming a doctor, you can pursue other dreams like becoming a lawyer or a government servant. Debangshu: How reliable are “artificial joints”? When does revision surgery become important? Dr Vibhore: Well, they have a five-year survival rate which is 99%. The longevity of the implant is 35 years. So actually artificial joints are very reliable, unless you mess up your own body. Then the surgeon plays only 10% of the role and the rest 90% is played by you. Secondly, revision surgeries are also very reliable. You tend to understand the human body. You tend to understand why the implant is still there in the body, what is integrating the bone into the joint and the ability of the body to create bone with the help of new vaporization. But to prevent all this as I said earlier, exercise is the key to maintaining your body.
Vidushi: Dr, kindly name a person whom you would like to thank for his or her contribution to your career? Dr Vibhore: There is no single person that I can thank. Mrs Kusum was an inspiration. Mrs Sarcar was an inspiration. I thank all my teachers including Air Cmde Nigam as the Principal. I feel the Head of the institution plays a very crucial role because the environment in which students study is very important in building up a career. So no one particularly, but everybody in this institution. Akanksha: You must be having a very busy schedule as a surgeon. How do you manage to be present for your job and also be a ‘family man’? Dr Vibhore: You have to segregate your personal and professional life and have an active state of mind. Then you will be able to manage everything. Like recently, I was having a chat with my son and we were discussing when does the role of the parent become important. So out of curiosity I asked him, if I was the kind of parent who is not present at all. Then he replied that I am always mentally present but not physically present. So your mind should be active and one should introspect more. RAPID FIRE ROUND Your Favourite Pastime: Watching YouTube videos of surgeries What do you prefer Further Research or Practice: Research Most unique part about orthopaedic surgery: When you treat someone and they come back saying that I did a miracle Soumil: Sir, we now begin with the rapid-fire round. Please answer these questions in one word or one line.
One quality every doctor must possess: Compassion One adjective that describes you as a doctor: Decent Favourite Movie/TV Show: Andaz Apna Apna or The Wonder Years If your life as a doctor is made into a memoir, biography or movie what would it be titled: From Childhood to Childhood Favourite Song: Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye........... Favourite Book: Campbell The best compliment you have ever received from a patient: You made my life Which one do you like better-School Life or College Life: College life Favourite Food: Pakoras One question that you wish your friends and family stopped asking you as a doctor: Do you have time? Which profession would you have chosen if you were not a health professional: Chef If you were ever given an all paid two week holiday, which destination would it be: Antarctica The most common medical advice you give to your patients: Regular exercise What is your message for the AFGJItes: Be Yourself because you have to be answerable to yourself
COVID-19 infiltrated Indian lives in December 2019 as a flu and gradually became a cause of significant fear among commoners. The stores were closed, streets were empty and we were stuck in our homes. Amidst the pandemic, regardless of the complications, the thing which did not change was the presence of our unsung heroes. AFGJI is immensely proud of its alumni who worked tirelessly on the frontlines during the pandemic and we managed to cover some of them in this article. The institute takes this opportunity to thank all the members of the AFGJI family: the management, teachers, administrators, parents and so many of our alumni and students for their outstanding contributions in the service of mankind. Many individuals, involved in diverse services, stood on the front line and at the back as an ardent support system. Doctors, social workers, police staff, government officials, paramedical staff, NGOs, friends and families came together and transformed this period of devastation into something momentous. The world experienced grief and loss but it also witnessed exceptional contributions of remarkable personalities. We bow down before their eminence and show gratitude from the depth of our hearts. 'Giving is a big part of life and it is not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving'. Our alumni are truly an inspiration for the students. C Gratitude and Thankfulness Celebrating our COVID heroes
Dr Vibhore Singhal Class of 1994. Senior Consultant and Orthopaedic Surgeon and Unit Head in Venkateshwar hospital, New Delhi. Alumnus of prestigious University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. MS in Orthopaedic Surgery from Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences & Dr RML hospital, New Delhi. Advanced training in Joint Replacements from Singapore General Hospital and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, UK. National Board of Examination recognized Postgraduate Teacher and Mentor for young Orthopaedic surgeons. Certification in Rheumatology from Johns Hopkins University. Worked as a lecturer in Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun and reviewer of Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma (Elsevier) and has published articles in many national and international journals. Has performed more than 10000 major Orthopaedic surgeries. He is a visiting guest faculty at Al Kafeel shrine hospital in Karbala, Iraq. With an experience of 27 years in the medical field, he has performed more than 10000 major Orthopaedic surgeries including complex joint replacements, minimally invasive trauma, complex pelvic Acetabular and advanced Joint Arthroscopic surgeries.
Dr Parul Mahajan Class of 2002. MBBS from PGIMS, Rohtak. MPH in EHS, Occupational and Global Health from St.Louis, US . Certification by the Education Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) US. PG diploma in clinical trial management (PGCTM) from ICRI, Delhi. Has practiced Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine (CCM) for four years. Has done international (US) clerkships in Internal Medicine (IM) at Iowa and a physician re-entry program at Drexel University, Philadelphia. Worked as Research and Teaching Assistant at Saint Louis University (SLU) and completed her internship at BJC HealthCare in Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Missouri, US. Has been a co-author for journals like Indian Journal of CCM and Tropical Journal of Medical Research. Worked as an Anesthesiology DNB resident in Delhi. Sensitized people regarding COVID Vaccination. Mr Karan Bhutani Class of 2002. Currently working as a Director with a Private Equity Fund in Mumbai. Received his MBA from INSEAD Business School. Has done BE in Civil Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering.
Mr Nishant Garg Class of 2002. B.Tech in Civil engineering from IIT Guwahati. Received his MBA from INSEAD Business School . Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company ‘Brick2wall’. Mr Shashank Garg Class of 2006. BBA in Finance & Marketing from IIPM Delhi. PGDM in Business Administration and Management. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the company ‘Brick2wall’. Voluntary experiences include a stint at the Indian Red Cross Society and in Palliative Care at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC) US. Currently working in a pharmaceutical consulting firm (named ZS) in Gurgaon as a Consultant in Knowledge Management. Provided counselling to many employees via zoom, phone, email, etc. especially during April – May of 2021. Treated mild COVID patients through teleconsultation service, guided patients of moderate to severe category for admissions in hospitals, removed misnomers about COVID from the patient’s mind and reached out to as many employees, their families and patients and guided them about the treatment.
Mr Karan Bhutani, Mr Nishant Garg and Mr Shashank Garg worked together during the pandemic. They operated two oxygen banks in Delhi and Bengaluru to loan concentrators free of charge to over 500 individuals and 24 NGOs across 22 states of India. To operate the bank and secure the concentrators, they contributed to crowdsource a sum of 3.5 crores by leveraging personal, professional & social networks during the second wave of COVID-19. Dr Sajal Ajmani Class of 2005. MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi in 2010. MD in Internal Medicine from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in 2013. DM in Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology from Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in 2017. Worked as Assistant Professor for Rheumatology in All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi during the year 2019. Worked in Manipal Hospital, New Delhi as a Rheumatology Consaultant Currently a Rheumatology Consultant at BL Kapur-Max hospital, New Delhi. Has more than ten international and national publications. Was involved in online consultations during COVID - 19 in guiding and treating patients. Dr Bharat Nair Class of 2008. MBBS from Bangalore Medical College, Bengaluru in 2014. MRCS (England) in 2016. MS in General Surgery from Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla in 2018.
Served as resident doctor-in-charge of COVID ICU and COVID wards during the pandemic. Oversaw all aspects of COVID patient management and implementation of institutional protocols. Part of the single, well established public sector liver transplant team in North India. Performed liver transplants and major liver and pancreatic surgeries during COVID along with the team. More than 150 liver transplants done successfully by the team during COVID. Currently in Final year of MCh (Senior Resident) in Hepato Pancreatico Biliary Surgery, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi. Sqn Ldr CP Shanthanu Cherukuri Class of 2008. Class XII school topper. MBBS from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune in 2014. Serving Indian Air Force since 2013. AOC in C- Commendation (HQ SWAC) in 2018. MS in General surgery from INHS Asvini (Institute of Naval medicine) Mumbai in 2022. Published three papers in National and International Surgical Journals (Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery and Vascular Surgery from 2019 to 2022. Member of Association of Surgeons of India. Won Best Free Paper and Poster ASICON in the year 2021. Did ICU management, Ward Management, ARI clinics, Surgeries in COVID patients and worked in Acute Respiratory Clinics.
Dr Ashwin Rai Class of 2011. Passed MBBS from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune in 2017. MS in General Surgery from JIPMER, Puducherry in 2020. Awarded Best PG paper for his thesis from Association of Surgeons of India in 2020. PG Paper published in American Journal 'Digestive diseases and Sciences' in 2021. Currently pursuing MCh in Neurosurgery (2nd year Senior Resident) from JIPMER, Puducherry. Has performed more than 180 cranial surgeries. Was posted in COVID ward and COVID ICU in JIPMER and discharged all the duties as Resident doctor in-charge of COVID patients adhering to COVID protocols. Was posted in Emergency and performed life-saving surgeries on COVID infected patients. Capt Rahul Yadav Class of 2011. Passed MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College in 2017. Serving Indian Army since 2020. Worked as Junior Resident in Cardiology Deptt. at Dr RML Hospital. Worked in COVID Screening Centre , COVID Flu Clinic as Medical Officer and discharged all the duties. Posted multiple times at COVID wards and COVID ICU for extensive periods and managed COVID patients.
Dr Swati Bharti Batch of 2011. MBBS from Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, 2017. MD Anaesthesiology from University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 2021. Diplomate of National Board (DNB) Anaesthesiology, 2021. Currently working as Senior Resident Doctor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain Medicine and Critical Care. Member of Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists . Thesis paper accepted for publication in Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology . Interested in Airway Management, Obstetric Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation. Received certificate of appreciation for her work at the frontline during COVID19 pandemic as an anaesthesiologist in COVID ICUs and HDUs by Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists. Dr Aditya Gupta Class of 2012. MBBS From AllMS, New Delhi in 2018. Winner of Dr BS Narang Gold Medal and Institute Book Prize in Biochemistry. Distinctions in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Pathology. Chief Organiser, Pulse (AIIMS Sociocultural fest) in 2015. MD in Pediatrics from AIIMS, New Delhi in 2021. SIOP 2021 Global Health (Pediatric Oncology in developing country) Scholarship. Currently 2nd year DM resident in Pediatric Oncology at AIIMS, New Delhi.
Has a YouTube channel with 2.3 Lakh subscribers/silver button with brand collaborations with Unacademy/Prepladder/Colgate. Research Papers published in various national and international medical journals on topics like Benefit of a Neutropenic Diet for Children Undergoing Cancer Treatment, Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant after COVID-19 infection and its effect on the antibody titers to SARS-CoV-2, Communicating Calf Swelling in Systemic-Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Novel mutation in the CD27 gene in a patient presenting hypogammaglobinaemia, bronchiectasis and EBV-driven lymphoproliferative disease. Was posted in COVID wards multiple times, involved in consultations, patient care and treatment. Dr Akash Ghosh Class of 2012. MBBS from JIPMER, Puducherry in 2018. Completed MS in Orthopaedic Surgery from PGIMER, Chandigarh in 2021. Currently pursuing MCh in Paediatric Orthopaedics at PGIMER, Chandigarh. As a senior resident, headed the COVID orthopaedic trauma team. Was also posted in the COVID wards multiple times during Post-graduation and frequently attended to and operated on COVID positive trauma patients.
Worked as part of COVID screening and triage team. Operated multiple polytrauma cases in a designated COVID OT. 2021 with once a month COVID ICU posting. Dr Himanshu Class of 2012. Completed MBBS from AIIMS Jodhpur in 2018. Joined MS Orthopaedic Surgery in JIPMER in 2018. Currently working as a Second year Junior Resident in Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at JIPMER, Puducherry. Worked in COVID ward from September 2020 to October Dr Navnika Kapoor Class of 2014. MBBS from Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun in 2021. Currently pursuing MD in Pharmacology from Patel Chest Institute, Delhi University. Worked from the forefront treating and testing COVID patients during internship. Got postings in COVID Ward.
Dr Devanshi Sharma Class of 2014. MBBS from Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences (HNB University) in 2021. Currently pursuing Residency in Cardiothoracic Vascular surgery department in Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, Dehradun. Worked from the frontline and performed her duties from testing to treating the patients infected with COVID . Dr C Cynthia Class of 2015. MBBS from CMC Ludhiana in 2022. Worked in COVID ward and ICU (12 hour shifts). Currently serving in a mission hospital in Manali (Lady Willingdon Hospital).
Mr Aditya Bhushan Class of 2017. Currently in the final year of BA LLB from Amity Law School Delhi, IPU. Working as a legal intern at Central Adoption Resource Authority (Ministry of Women and Child Development). Took the initiative to make oxygen cylinders and Remdesivir available to people by contacting the providers. Joined the Robinhood Army NGO and helped the needy by organizing food drives and free ration distribution. In June 2021, the NGO organized a Vaccination drive camp to make the vaccination available to the people who did not have access to it. It lasted for one month and a total of 2000 people benefitted from it.
SENIOR WING PAINTINGS Tanvee - VIII D Aliza Parveen - VI C Anshika Sinha - VII A Abhinav Parashar - IX C Somyajit Saha - XII A Ishita Subi Chandran - X D Parul, Bhavika, Anshika & Harsheel - IX A
...as expressed by our school students “To me, gratitude means having caring and lovely friends. I am thankful for everything I have in this splendid world God created for us.” Angel Rathore VII - D “I am grateful for the sounds of Nature! The birds chirping on the branches as the wind blows; the rustling of the leaves; the sound of the raindrops fill my heart with delight and gratitude.” Samaira VI - A "I am thankful for my family. My mother and father work so hard to provide for me. They give me life lessons and their unconditional love and support keeps me going.” Aditya Thakur, Laiba Salam, VII - D Lakshita, Harmeet Kaur and Ayush Kumar, VI - A THOUGHTS ON GRATITUDE
“Gratitude is a feeling that comes from within. It is something which is unparalleled and unmatched. I am thankful for everything that God has given me.” Aditya Pandey and Debangshu Roy, XII - B “Gratitude lies in the peace of mind. It is believing in the act of giving and being thankful for the little things we receive." Mehar Singh XII - B , Priya Yadav XII - B and Palak Vats XII - D “The feeling of gratitude is the spark of light that finally ignites after a prolonged period of darkness. I am extremely thankful to the people who always support me during tough times. The sentiment of thankfulness strengthens trust and solidifies bonds. I am thankful for my past, present and future. All the phases of life come with innumerable lessons to learn” . Anoushka XII-B and Vandita R Sharma XII-B “I am thankful to my mother. She encourages me to push myself to be the best version of myself. She has given birth to me and is the deity I worship.” Tarushi Yadav, VI - A “I am thankful to my marvellous teachers who come to teach us every day regardless of the difficulties they may face in their lives. The temple is called the school and teachers make our lives successful with their lessons of life that they impart to us . This is a tribute to all the teachers in AFGJI who put students first." Megha VI - A, Navya VI - A and Aryan Yadav VII - D
Since our childhood we have constantly been taught to be grateful for what we have, in the form of prayers, chants and gestures. Here, what we should realize is that when we are expressing gratitude it's not the words but the spirit that actually counts. Expressing gratitude should not be a mere formality but should come from within. It is a known fact that expressing gratitude has numerous scientifically proven benefits. It boosts our immune system. Gratitude has been shown to help contribute to an overall sense of well-being. Physiology and Psychology of Acknowledgement Palak Vats, XII-D It improves our mental health. Gratitude is one of the many factors that contributes to positive mental health. It also makes us more optimistic and positive about our lives and our future. It is also known to improve sleep quality. Research has found that feeling grateful helps people to sleep better and longer because we have more positive thoughts before we go to sleep.
Additionally, it reduces stress and reduces symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Expressions of gratitude improves our mood and provides encouragement to continue with life despite the hardships. Grateful people are also more forgiving and humbler. Gratitude involves acknowledging good things that happen to us in our lives and being mindful of the present. We should make a promise to ourselves to practice gratitude every day and to be thankful for the little things. Sharing is caring, so sharing the feeling of gratitude with our loved ones will add to our happiness. Keeping a gratitude journal will also help us to keep a check on the things which make us happy and going through that every day will uplift our mood. So, start noticing and appreciating the little things around you. See the good and positive in all situations. Finally, we should also realize that gratitude can be expressed not just with words alone but also through small gestures and kind deeds.