Muscat: Indian School Darsait organized its 32^ndAnnual Day Celebrations at the Grand Hall, Al-Falaj Hotel, Ruwi, on 14 December 2024 with great verve. His Excellency, Shri Amit Narang, Ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman, was the Chief Guest, while Dr. Sivakumar Manickam, Chairman, Board of Directors, Indian Schools in Oman, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. The function was attended by an august gathering of distinguished dignitaries, members of the School Management Committee, principals of other Indian Schools in Oman, invited guests and a good number of parents and well-wishers. 

Aysha Zalka Sakkariya, the Head Girl extended a cordial welcome to everyone. In his presidential address, Mr. Shalimar Moideen, Vice President and Head of Academics Subcommittee, lauded the self-confident and competent student community, supportive parents, dedicated staff and his fellow SMC members for creating a favourable ambience for the school to foster growth and scale greater heights.

Mr. Amar Srivastava, Principal, made a digital presentation of the annual report for the year 2024-25. The comprehensive report highlighted a continued march of yet another glorious year of commendable achievements and success stories of the school.

The Chief Guest congratulated Indian School Darsait on completing 32 years of its impactful role in the sphere of education to the Indian community in Muscat. His Excellency appreciated the teachers and students for the remarkable accomplishments. He said, “School is a temple of learning, where the young minds develop and blossom into wholesome, holistic, well-rounded adults of the future, ready to take on challenges that the world will throw at them”. He further shared an anecdote of his meeting with Shri Balkavi Bairagi, a noted Hindi poet. The chief guest presented a panel with the poet’s words to the institution.

Addressing the gathering, the Guest of Honour commended Indian School Darsait’s firm standing and indomitable spirit over the years as an institution imparting quality education. He stated further, “2024 is a remarkable year for the school because it has seen many significant achievements in co-curricular activities, athletics, and academics. The outcome is the product of diligent work and collaboration among parents, instructors, and students”.

The evening witnessed proud moments of the felicitation of the staff. These included subject teachers of classes X and XII who helped facilitate students to achieve the CBSE National Topper Awards, staff who had completed 25 and 12 years of service with the school, staff who were applauded for their perfect attendance, teachers of Physical Education who trained students for the CBSE National Sports Meet. Ceremonial heads and coordinators of the Student Council were conferred with mementos and certificates. C. V. Raman House clinched trophies for Overall Championship for Cultural Activities and for Best House for the year 2024-2025. Tagore House secured the Overall Runner-up Championship trophy for Cultural Activities, and Bapu House was presented with a trophy for the Best House: Runner-up. 

Yadu Krishna Balakrishnan was felicitated for his accomplishment as the Gulf Topper when he garnered a staggering aggregate of 99% in the Class XII CBSE Examination (Science Stream: 2024-2025). Other students who had secured top positions in the CBSE Examination were also recognised.

Besides the invocation dance, the cultural extravaganza began with ‘Sangeet ka Safar’, a medley of Hindi songs from movies, sung by legendary singers, presented by the choir group from the primary section. ‘Rhythm of the Seasons’ traversed through the five magical seasons of the year while ‘Ballet’ was an exploration of dances from around the world. ‘Hogaku’, a mellifluous Japanese music left a soothing effect on the audience. ‘Symphonious’, an instrumental fusion was presented by students in the senior section. The mime, ‘Tribute to the Soldiers’ was a testimonial to soldiers who lay down their lives for the nation. ‘Expressions in Motion’ by the primary section was a spectacular show of dances of India. The celebration ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Aadil Shaham Arshad, the Head Boy.