INTRODUCTION

Secretary Education, Sports and Culture,

Government of NCT of Delhi
Old Secretariat, Delhi-110 054
TEL. : 23890119 FAX : 23890187
E-mail : secyedu@nic.in

The Concept behind YUVA and the School Life Skills Programme (SLP).

"You must be the change you want to see in the world"

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
"This above all, to thine own self be true
And it must follow as the night the day, thou cannot be false to any man"
- William Shakespeare

After more than three years of sustained, hard, very hard work, we sat down to check the extent to which our reforms had
been successful, and we were justifiably proud of our achievements. We recorded a phenomenal increase of 36% in the
Standard X CBSE Board exams from a low of 48% in 2005 to 84% in 2008. This was achieved with an increase in the
number of children appearing for these exams from 85,479 in 2005 to 1,05,332 in 2008, and a huge increase in the
number of children being declared successful in these exams, up from 41,056 in 2005 to 88,151 in 2008, an increase
of 114%. While analyzing the impact of the reforms introduced over the past 3 years, it has been found that if
the average annual increase in the pass percentage and the number of students passing over 7 years till
2005 had continued, it would have taken almost 16 years to reach the present pass percentage of 84% and
almost 26 years to reach the present level of number of students passing. That it actually took only 3 years to
reach these levels proves the effectiveness of the reforms introduced over the past 3 years.
Enrolment has increased by around 1,00,000 students in 2008 recording overall an increase of 20% in the total
enrolment over just 3 years. The drop out levels in the primary classes is now 0% and in upper primary, thanks to the No
Retention Policy there are no dropouts. A host of initiatives under the banner of YUVA have been introduced to make
schools a more attractive place and learning joyful, interesting and meaningful, so that children have a desire to go to
school and continue there. These include Local Tours, Outstation Tours, Caltoonz(Animated Curriculum), Eco Club, YUVA

YUVA i
 Club, Sports and Games, Project Raksha(Self Defence), Building as Learning Aid (BaLA), Kitabi Magic (Reading), YUVA SKILLS
Mental Maths, Quizzes, Debates, Elocution, Home Science Labs in all Boy's schools, and provision of LCD projectors
1) Be Positive.
Significantly, from 2007 all students from Standards I to VIII now receive a complete set of free textbooks which are
printed by the Department, and those in Standards IX to XII are given an allowance to purchase theirs. From 2007 all 2) Make the Right Choices.

students also receive allowances for their uniform and students upwards of Standard VIII now get free geometry boxes 3) Do your Best.
and a comprehensive Question Bank Book every year. The Department has also introduced a No Retention policy from 4) Value yourself, and others.
2008 and no child from Standard I to VIII is left behind. A major Public Private Partnership with the Delhi State Industrial 5) Believe that there is a Purpose and Meaning to everything you do.
and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) called 6) Listen to your Heart.
"Roopantar" has been launched in 2008 to completely renovate one – third of our schools. The next phase of
"Roopanter" will see the balance schools similarly renovated. These are described later on.

We have achieved our goals "not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially". In a short span of 3 years we
have not just turned the system around, we have almost rebuilt it. An Executive Summary of our achievements
These YUVA Skills led to the enunciation of:
can be perused in Session 1.10(b) Making a Difference to Others, in Module One of the YUVA School Life Skills
Programme ( SLP).
THE VISION
It is important to understand that Teachers in Government Schools in India literally hold the future of their All children in Delhi shall receive learning that helps them to be happy, responsible, healthy and productive citizens.
students in their hands. Children who fail once or repeatedly usually drop out of the system as do those who
find the school environment unfriendly and unattractive. A few, including those in Standards 6, 7 and 8 even
commit suicide. Many others go on to become untrained, unskilled workers. The Delhi Police have estimated
THE STRATEGIES
that more than 90% of crime is committed by persons who never passed Standard X. Children who drop out are
also ill-equipped to deal with life's challenges and are unable in most cases to be productive, healthy, and 1) To empower all Teachers by affirming and validating them so that they feel valued and have a sense of self-
responsible members of civil society. A good school and education however can help to drastically change this, worth, to provide enabling resources and a responsive, caring environment so that they can reach their full
giving the students a chance at a better life. The contribution of a good Teacher is therefore immeasurable. potential and achieve the stated goals.
A picture speaks a thousand words and this heartwarming, touching photograph from the May 30th 2008 Delhi
2) Make Learning Joyful, Interesting and Meaningful.
edition of the Indian Express says every thing there is to say about the impact that a good Teacher has on the lives of her
students and their families. One look at this photograph and it makes all the hard work worthwhile. It is one of my
personal favourites and many of us who were preparing these YUVA SLP Handbooks glanced at it frequently. As I write THE DELIVERY PROCESSES
we are receiving very positive news that after decades many Delhi Government Schools (DGS) are being seen by the
1. Upgrading Human Resources
middle class as an alternative to 'private' schools. This is no mean feat and was achieved thanks to all the reforms under
YUVA. Some of these are detailed out in these SLP Handbooks a) The first kind of professional development that we implemented focused largely on improving exam
while others are described in this Department's Quick Report scores - "teaching to the test". This is described in the Quick Report. This training was absolutely essential
2008 (Updated)*. After a very exhaustive and because 52% of our students could not pass the Std X exams in 2005 which we considered totally unacceptable.
comprehensive inquiry we identified what we finally, It also included elements of the Life Skills training given below.
and very fondly call YUVA Skills. These are overarching
b) The second kind of professional development which we simultaneously implemented was based on Life Skills
skills which have given rise in turn to the Vision,
Strategies and the Delivery Processes which have made Education, as per the concepts laid down under the YUVA Skills, and this is described in these Handbooks.
these successes possible. We have very consciously and YUVA Skills based education has enabled our Teachers to make classroom teaching enjoyable and meaningful,
deliberately decided to call them Skills because they can thereby increasing learning levels and scores. It emphasizes the need for Teachers and Parents to create a caring
be learnt (taught) and anyone can acquire them. Most and nurturing environment in schools, not to ever use corporal punishment, and to be sensitive towards their
importantly, they represent the first of all the reforms – a
A student at a Government school brings the good news students' needs. YUVA Skills all focus on values and principles, ethics and honesty, and on building the
reform in the thinking processes.
to her mother. She has scored 67 per cent in the CBSE character of a student.
* This can be seen at the Department’s webside www.edudel.nic.in exams. Photo by Ravi Batra – Indian Express 30 May 2008

ii YUVA YUVA iii

 Club, Sports and Games, Project Raksha(Self Defence), Building as Learning Aid (BaLA), Kitabi Magic (Reading), YUVA SKILLS
Mental Maths, Quizzes, Debates, Elocution, Home Science Labs in all Boy's schools, and provision of LCD projectors
1) Be Positive.
Significantly, from 2007 all students from Standards I to VIII now receive a complete set of free textbooks which are
printed by the Department, and those in Standards IX to XII are given an allowance to purchase theirs. From 2007 all 2) Make the Right Choices.

students also receive allowances for their uniform and students upwards of Standard VIII now get free geometry boxes 3) Do your Best.
and a comprehensive Question Bank Book every year. The Department has also introduced a No Retention policy from 4) Value yourself, and others.
2008 and no child from Standard I to VIII is left behind. A major Public Private Partnership with the Delhi State Industrial 5) Believe that there is a Purpose and Meaning to everything you do.
and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) called 6) Listen to your Heart.
"Roopantar" has been launched in 2008 to completely renovate one – third of our schools. The next phase of
"Roopanter" will see the balance schools similarly renovated. These are described later on.

We have achieved our goals "not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially". In a short span of 3 years we
have not just turned the system around, we have almost rebuilt it. An Executive Summary of our achievements
These YUVA Skills led to the enunciation of:
can be perused in Session 1.10(b) Making a Difference to Others, in Module One of the YUVA School Life Skills
Programme ( SLP).
THE VISION
It is important to understand that Teachers in Government Schools in India literally hold the future of their All children in Delhi shall receive learning that helps them to be happy, responsible, healthy and productive citizens.
students in their hands. Children who fail once or repeatedly usually drop out of the system as do those who
find the school environment unfriendly and unattractive. A few, including those in Standards 6, 7 and 8 even
commit suicide. Many others go on to become untrained, unskilled workers. The Delhi Police have estimated
THE STRATEGIES
that more than 90% of crime is committed by persons who never passed Standard X. Children who drop out are
also ill-equipped to deal with life's challenges and are unable in most cases to be productive, healthy, and 1) To empower all Teachers by affirming and validating them so that they feel valued and have a sense of self-
responsible members of civil society. A good school and education however can help to drastically change this, worth, to provide enabling resources and a responsive, caring environment so that they can reach their full
giving the students a chance at a better life. The contribution of a good Teacher is therefore immeasurable. potential and achieve the stated goals.
A picture speaks a thousand words and this heartwarming, touching photograph from the May 30th 2008 Delhi
2) Make Learning Joyful, Interesting and Meaningful.
edition of the Indian Express says every thing there is to say about the impact that a good Teacher has on the lives of her
students and their families. One look at this photograph and it makes all the hard work worthwhile. It is one of my
personal favourites and many of us who were preparing these YUVA SLP Handbooks glanced at it frequently. As I write THE DELIVERY PROCESSES
we are receiving very positive news that after decades many Delhi Government Schools (DGS) are being seen by the
1. Upgrading Human Resources
middle class as an alternative to 'private' schools. This is no mean feat and was achieved thanks to all the reforms under
YUVA. Some of these are detailed out in these SLP Handbooks a) The first kind of professional development that we implemented focused largely on improving exam
while others are described in this Department's Quick Report scores - "teaching to the test". This is described in the Quick Report. This training was absolutely essential
2008 (Updated)*. After a very exhaustive and because 52% of our students could not pass the Std X exams in 2005 which we considered totally unacceptable.
comprehensive inquiry we identified what we finally, It also included elements of the Life Skills training given below.
and very fondly call YUVA Skills. These are overarching
b) The second kind of professional development which we simultaneously implemented was based on Life Skills
skills which have given rise in turn to the Vision,
Strategies and the Delivery Processes which have made Education, as per the concepts laid down under the YUVA Skills, and this is described in these Handbooks.
these successes possible. We have very consciously and YUVA Skills based education has enabled our Teachers to make classroom teaching enjoyable and meaningful,
deliberately decided to call them Skills because they can thereby increasing learning levels and scores. It emphasizes the need for Teachers and Parents to create a caring
be learnt (taught) and anyone can acquire them. Most and nurturing environment in schools, not to ever use corporal punishment, and to be sensitive towards their
importantly, they represent the first of all the reforms – a
A student at a Government school brings the good news students' needs. YUVA Skills all focus on values and principles, ethics and honesty, and on building the
reform in the thinking processes.
to her mother. She has scored 67 per cent in the CBSE character of a student.
* This can be seen at the Department’s webside www.edudel.nic.in exams. Photo by Ravi Batra – Indian Express 30 May 2008

ii YUVA YUVA iii

 individuals; they are a part of a very cohesive whole. But when we started on our journey under YUVA to improve the
2. Being a Positive and Responsive Employer
quality of education in Delhi Government Schools (DGS) we certainly didn’t expect what actually happened. We didn't
This Delivery Process flows entirely from the YUVA Skills and it has been instrumental in making Teachers and quite anticipate that we would need to conduct so many training programmes and that they would
Principals feel valued, and in giving to them what they needed to excel. This is described in detail in the Quick ultimately feature meditation, laughter, interactive sessions with brave people, case studies of Hindi films,
Report. yoga, spirituality and huge doses of motivation. We were very clear that under YUVA we wanted our
3. Improving the Infrastructure Teachers and Principals to be positive individuals who genuinely cared about the well – being of their
students. We wanted them to attend to their schools on time and to teach, to be sensitive to the needs of their
a) Issues concerning construction, child friendly designs, and major civil works are featured in the Quick Report.
students and care about their mental well being, their health, their future, and their happiness. We wanted
b) All aspects of improvement of the school environment related to the running of the school, the building, and the schools to be lively, creative places bustling with activity, laughter and joy.
furniture, and which are decided by the Principal, Teachers, Parents and students through a decentralised, But that is not quite as we started. What makes YUVA unique is that it evolved and grew as a response to all the
participatory approach are covered in these YUVA SLP Handbooks such as the Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS) challenges as they emerged. In the beginning we were basically targeting specific issues-increasing the academic
including BaLA and Bal Bhagidari, minor civil works and repairs, horticulture works, minor electrical works and performance at the Standards X and XII CBSE Board exams, reducing drop out levels, increasing the enrolment
repairs, other works and purchase of furniture. (especially of girls and out of school children), improving the buildings and the school environment. Other issues which
4. Using E-Governance were of concern were the use of corporal punishment, security and safety in schools and the spiraling increase in student

This is described in detail in the Quick Report. suicides. The situation in schools was a cause of concern, infact alarm. 52% of all students sitting for the Standard X CBSE
Board exams couldn't pass, the drop out rates were upto 40% for classes between Standards VI and VIII, and upto 60% of
5. Ensuring that Learning in schools is Joyful, Interesting and Meaningful.
all students in Standards VI, VII and VIII were failing multiple subjects and were being "retained" in the class. Student
This is covered entirely in these YUVA SLP Handbooks.
suicides on account of academic related issues such as pressure of exams, and repeated failings were increasing.
Teacher absenteeism was very high and too many Teachers' seemed unconcerned about their students. The school
The first four Delivery Processes are being implemented since mid 2005 when YUVA was launched. Some parts of the
buildings were mostly dull, drab and grey, badly maintained and with poor infrastructure particularly in terms of toilets,
fifth Delivery Process are in all schools while the rest will also reach all schools shortly. In his book 'The World is Flat'
water, laboratories, libraries, school furniture, and even basic fittings such as lights and fans. An incident which took
Thomas L. Friedman has quoted Stanley Fischer, the former deputy managing director of the IMF as saying "One good
place shortly after I joined the Department in May 2005 exemplifies the situation at that time. The Delhi Government runs
example is worth a thousand theories". There is nothing theoretical above YUVA - it is an example which has been
a school in the Estate of the President of India largely for the children of the employees there. One day I was summoned to
working successfully since July 2005 and this has been possible entirely because everyone has worked together as a
Rashtrapati Bhawan and the extreme displeasure of the President of India, Shri APJ Abdul Kalam, at the deplorable
Team – from the Secretary to the Director, to the Regional Directors, Deputy Directors, Education Officers, Deputy
condition of the school was conveyed to me. Not only were all the problems I have just cited present in this school but the
Education Officers, Principals and Teachers, as well as all the officials in the Headquarters – the Additional Directors,
utter disregard, callousness and sheer bad behavior of some Teachers and Principals was on show one day when the
Joint Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors, and of course the students themselves. All the achievements
President decided to pay a visit to the school. Since it is located inside his Estate there is no specific security routine and
belong equally to all the members of this Team. Additionally, in a year when India won 3 medals at the Beijing
Olympic Games, we are proud to have trained one of these medalists – Sushil Kumar. Our Sports Branch was senior officers are not invited. However when the President of India reached the school he was shocked to find that both
also included in all the YUVA activities, and the YUVA Skills have worked their magic there too! the Principal and Vice-Principal were not in the school! Only the security guard of the school was present at the gate to

One of our biggest reforms has been to actively involve all Parents in the education process in their child's school. The receive him. This was inspite of the fact that the school had been told at least a week in advance about the visit. This is a

Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS) gives Parents a say in decision making and a voice in how the funds under the VKS shall be clear case of dereliction of duty and utter discourtesy, but unfortunately, it was all too common. After we transferred the
utilized. Our Teachers and Principals also reach out to Parents at every opportunity. This was considered essential because Principal and Vice-Principal and started action against them, both tried to get the orders reversed. There was not one
a school alone cannot guide or nurture a child. We cannot hope that YUVA classes that reassure a dark skinned girl that she word of apology, or promise of reform. Again, a cycle which was all too familiar. If this is how the system responded to the
is worthy of love will be successful if her family at home is constantly giving her the opposite message. The YUVA SLP highest functionary in the country, one can imagine the plight of the poor children.
Handbooks that you are now holding are in fact as much for Parents as they are for Teachers. They are also for all Teachers Another incident narrated by a Parent drew our attention to another problem. Her child was studying for the Board
who are Parents, and they will be shared with Parents of all students. We have received requests to put these on sale in both exams from a 'private' school and she had employed a private tutor for her. She was shocked to learn one day that he
English and Hindi so that all Parents can have access to it and this request is presently under consideration. was a senior Teacher in a Government School. How then was he able to give private tuitions at 11am when he was a
We have been able to introduce a slew of educational and systemic reforms under YUVA and have demonstrated Teacher in a morning shift school? The Teacher told her that he had an "arrangement" with the school Principal whereby
sustained improvement. Our focus on the professional development of Teachers both in teaching to the test and in the she allowed him to be absent while recording him present in the attendance register, while he shared his earnings with
area of Life Skills and what we call YUVA Skills has reaped rich dividends. Our Teachers are no longer isolated her. Shocking no doubt but it reaffirmed what we had heard from many sources, that many of our Teachers remained

iv YUVA YUVA v
 individuals; they are a part of a very cohesive whole. But when we started on our journey under YUVA to improve the
2. Being a Positive and Responsive Employer
quality of education in Delhi Government Schools (DGS) we certainly didn’t expect what actually happened. We didn't
This Delivery Process flows entirely from the YUVA Skills and it has been instrumental in making Teachers and quite anticipate that we would need to conduct so many training programmes and that they would
Principals feel valued, and in giving to them what they needed to excel. This is described in detail in the Quick ultimately feature meditation, laughter, interactive sessions with brave people, case studies of Hindi films,
Report. yoga, spirituality and huge doses of motivation. We were very clear that under YUVA we wanted our
3. Improving the Infrastructure Teachers and Principals to be positive individuals who genuinely cared about the well – being of their
students. We wanted them to attend to their schools on time and to teach, to be sensitive to the needs of their
a) Issues concerning construction, child friendly designs, and major civil works are featured in the Quick Report.
students and care about their mental well being, their health, their future, and their happiness. We wanted
b) All aspects of improvement of the school environment related to the running of the school, the building, and the schools to be lively, creative places bustling with activity, laughter and joy.
furniture, and which are decided by the Principal, Teachers, Parents and students through a decentralised, But that is not quite as we started. What makes YUVA unique is that it evolved and grew as a response to all the
participatory approach are covered in these YUVA SLP Handbooks such as the Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS) challenges as they emerged. In the beginning we were basically targeting specific issues-increasing the academic
including BaLA and Bal Bhagidari, minor civil works and repairs, horticulture works, minor electrical works and performance at the Standards X and XII CBSE Board exams, reducing drop out levels, increasing the enrolment
repairs, other works and purchase of furniture. (especially of girls and out of school children), improving the buildings and the school environment. Other issues which
4. Using E-Governance were of concern were the use of corporal punishment, security and safety in schools and the spiraling increase in student

This is described in detail in the Quick Report. suicides. The situation in schools was a cause of concern, infact alarm. 52% of all students sitting for the Standard X CBSE
Board exams couldn't pass, the drop out rates were upto 40% for classes between Standards VI and VIII, and upto 60% of
5. Ensuring that Learning in schools is Joyful, Interesting and Meaningful.
all students in Standards VI, VII and VIII were failing multiple subjects and were being "retained" in the class. Student
This is covered entirely in these YUVA SLP Handbooks.
suicides on account of academic related issues such as pressure of exams, and repeated failings were increasing.
Teacher absenteeism was very high and too many Teachers' seemed unconcerned about their students. The school
The first four Delivery Processes are being implemented since mid 2005 when YUVA was launched. Some parts of the
buildings were mostly dull, drab and grey, badly maintained and with poor infrastructure particularly in terms of toilets,
fifth Delivery Process are in all schools while the rest will also reach all schools shortly. In his book 'The World is Flat'
water, laboratories, libraries, school furniture, and even basic fittings such as lights and fans. An incident which took
Thomas L. Friedman has quoted Stanley Fischer, the former deputy managing director of the IMF as saying "One good
place shortly after I joined the Department in May 2005 exemplifies the situation at that time. The Delhi Government runs
example is worth a thousand theories". There is nothing theoretical above YUVA - it is an example which has been
a school in the Estate of the President of India largely for the children of the employees there. One day I was summoned to
working successfully since July 2005 and this has been possible entirely because everyone has worked together as a
Rashtrapati Bhawan and the extreme displeasure of the President of India, Shri APJ Abdul Kalam, at the deplorable
Team – from the Secretary to the Director, to the Regional Directors, Deputy Directors, Education Officers, Deputy
condition of the school was conveyed to me. Not only were all the problems I have just cited present in this school but the
Education Officers, Principals and Teachers, as well as all the officials in the Headquarters – the Additional Directors,
utter disregard, callousness and sheer bad behavior of some Teachers and Principals was on show one day when the
Joint Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors, and of course the students themselves. All the achievements
President decided to pay a visit to the school. Since it is located inside his Estate there is no specific security routine and
belong equally to all the members of this Team. Additionally, in a year when India won 3 medals at the Beijing
Olympic Games, we are proud to have trained one of these medalists – Sushil Kumar. Our Sports Branch was senior officers are not invited. However when the President of India reached the school he was shocked to find that both
also included in all the YUVA activities, and the YUVA Skills have worked their magic there too! the Principal and Vice-Principal were not in the school! Only the security guard of the school was present at the gate to

One of our biggest reforms has been to actively involve all Parents in the education process in their child's school. The receive him. This was inspite of the fact that the school had been told at least a week in advance about the visit. This is a

Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS) gives Parents a say in decision making and a voice in how the funds under the VKS shall be clear case of dereliction of duty and utter discourtesy, but unfortunately, it was all too common. After we transferred the
utilized. Our Teachers and Principals also reach out to Parents at every opportunity. This was considered essential because Principal and Vice-Principal and started action against them, both tried to get the orders reversed. There was not one
a school alone cannot guide or nurture a child. We cannot hope that YUVA classes that reassure a dark skinned girl that she word of apology, or promise of reform. Again, a cycle which was all too familiar. If this is how the system responded to the
is worthy of love will be successful if her family at home is constantly giving her the opposite message. The YUVA SLP highest functionary in the country, one can imagine the plight of the poor children.
Handbooks that you are now holding are in fact as much for Parents as they are for Teachers. They are also for all Teachers Another incident narrated by a Parent drew our attention to another problem. Her child was studying for the Board
who are Parents, and they will be shared with Parents of all students. We have received requests to put these on sale in both exams from a 'private' school and she had employed a private tutor for her. She was shocked to learn one day that he
English and Hindi so that all Parents can have access to it and this request is presently under consideration. was a senior Teacher in a Government School. How then was he able to give private tuitions at 11am when he was a
We have been able to introduce a slew of educational and systemic reforms under YUVA and have demonstrated Teacher in a morning shift school? The Teacher told her that he had an "arrangement" with the school Principal whereby
sustained improvement. Our focus on the professional development of Teachers both in teaching to the test and in the she allowed him to be absent while recording him present in the attendance register, while he shared his earnings with
area of Life Skills and what we call YUVA Skills has reaped rich dividends. Our Teachers are no longer isolated her. Shocking no doubt but it reaffirmed what we had heard from many sources, that many of our Teachers remained

iv YUVA YUVA v
absent, and were much in demand in the private tuition market. A little unofficial detective work also revealed that these with all the Teachers so that we could convey the Vision and the Goals clearly with the minimum "transmission
very same Teachers had the worst performances in terms of their students in the Government schools, and the highest loss". This turned out to be one of the most significant decisions we made under YUVA as it enabled me and
levels of absenteeism. On another occasion, responding to many comments from students that their Teachers were others to cut through seven layers of bureaucracy in between, and we are indeed very grateful to all the colleges of

always sleeping in school, we traced it to a separate group of Teachers who though attending school during the day, Delhi University for permitting us to use their auditoriums over the past few years as this allowed us to interact with upto 500

spent almost the whole night coaching private students for medical and engineering entrance exams. They could hardly Teachers at a time. In this way we met all our Teachers and gave them an opportunity to speak, and what we heard really

keep their eyes open during school hours. The performance of their students in Government Schools was also very poor. surprised us. We were all talking about the schools and the students but all they spoke about was themselves. They spoke

There was yet a third category of Teachers who though largely attending school and being wide awake were mostly about their personal problems at home with their family members and they spoke about their problems with the Principals

ineffective in the classroom. An incident narrated by Shri Ashok Ganguly, the former Chairman CBSE illustrates this. He and the officials of the Department. They spoke about their disillusionment with their career, with the delays in promotions,
the absence of transparency in all dealings especially transfers, with the way they were treated both within and outside the
paid a surprise visit to a school (not in Delhi) and sat on the last row of a Primary class. He sat the whole day and yet not
system, and with insecurity in schools. They complained of poor relationships, ill health, and blamed everyone for their
one of the Teachers noticed him. Now Shri Ganguly looks like a nice grandfather and has totally white hair! How was it
problems from the Principal and officials, to other departments and agencies - they don't clear up the garbage outside my
possible that none of the Teachers noticed that one of their eight year olds had suddenly metamorphosed into an old
house, they don't do their duty, why should I do mine?; we don't get enough water on time so how can I reach school on
man? It was possible because they were not doing their work ethically, they would not even look at their students let alone
time?; with all these power cuts I can't get my work done at home, so how can I concentrate on my school work?; the city is
interact with them. They would enter the class and either teach with their backs to the children and facing the
so unsafe, there's no regular bus to my school which is in a remote area, I need a transfer if I am to work well, and so on.
blackboard, or bark out a few instructions to the students. From students all over Delhi we learnt that things were largely
However, there was one government run department which came in for praise from every single person, and not just
the same in most of their schools. This category comprised the bulk of the Teachers but it also emerged that they were
ordinary praise but lavish praise, and that was the Delhi Metro. So I asked the Teachers "how would you like other people
generally well meaning. This was crucial as this group have been most responsible for the turnaround.
(your family, Parents of students, the CM, media and others) to think of you? In the same way you think of non performing
And yet there was hope. Our inquiries led us to some amazing Teachers and Principals who were doing
departments? Or in the same way you think of the Delhi Metro?" The answer was unanimous – every single Teacher and
outstanding work. Their sincerity and dedication in even the most difficult circumstances was awe inspiring.
They taught children from the most disadvantaged sections of society, their learning achievement levels Principal wanted that they, their school, and the Education Department, should be looked at with the same respect and
were the highest and not only was their pass percentages very high, even 100%, their schools were clean pride that they looked at the Delhi Metro with.
and the best maintained, and most importantly, their students were happy. This group of committed Teachers
This desire for self respect and self esteem, this need for respect from their communities, and indeed their
and Principals exhibited high levels of integrity and principles. All of them without exception, cared about
own families, is the basic strain that YUVA has tapped into and by making it a reality for Teachers and
their students and had created nurturing environments in their schools.
Principals it has made possible radical reforms leading to extraordinary achievements.
However, as a consequence of this overall state of affairs there appeared to be a universal demand for the
Government to hand over it's schools to NGOs or to the private sector "as it obviously couldn't run them". A new It was abundantly clear that there were some very serious problems which the officials of the Department had to
movement to introduce vouchers was introduced and was getting support from parents who were obviously fed up. The resolve. In retrospect I would not like to blame the Teachers and Principals, no one had cared about them, they found it
Planning Commission would frequently point to Delhi's terrible drop out levels which were the highest in the country. The difficult to care about others. In response to what we heard, we decided on a two pronged strategy – one, to
Ministry of Human Resource Development in a ranking of states in 2005 gave Delhi the 35th position' out of 35 States proactively work towards removing all the professional barriers and difficulties which the Teachers and
Principals were facing, and two, to start large scale capacity building programmes which would equip them
and Union Territories. The Courts frequently commented on the sad state of affairs and educationists based in Delhi spent
with both the skills to teach better, and to handle their personal problems and issues of motivation. The first
considerable time criticizing us in meetings and in the media. The President of India wanted to hand over the school in
strategy which we call "Being a Positive and Responsive Employer" is handled in detail in the Department's Quick Report
his Estate (referred to earlier) to an educational NGO since the Government obviously couldn't run it properly.
(Updated) 2008 and it relates how Teachers and Principals are now part of all policy and decision making, and active
There were two choices before us. – let things be, or change them. We choose the latter and so started a
partners in every initiative. Issues of stagnation which had persisted for upto 6 years have been resolved and now there is
fascinating voyage that culminated in sweeping educational and systemic reforms that brought about the
phenomenal improvements referred to in the beginning of this Introduction. no backlog in terms of promotions. Transfers have become transparent and everyone has access to the Secretary and
Director, including the students. Teachers and Principals no longer receive directions on what to do, instead, they decide
I have already mentioned in the Quick Report that the biggest challenge everyone faces in the Government are the
what needs to be done. There has been a huge decentralization of powers and funds in favour of the Principals, giving
numbers – we in Delhi directly handle almost 1000 schools, 35,000 Teachers and staff, and around 1.2 million students.
them more autonomy and a greater say in how their schools shall be run. Significantly, we enjoy very harmonious
The very thought of educational and systemic reforms for such a huge system is daunting, but we approached it the only
relations with the Principal's Association and the Government School Teachers Association (GSTA). They too can meet
way we could – positively. Instead of being intimidated we chose to treat it as a unique opportunity – it because a privilege
the Secretary and Director at any time. Both Associations have been invaluable in the achievement of all the goals, and
to be in a position to make a difference to so many. Although I could never hope to directly reach out to over a million
the complete absence of any friction or discord between the 'management' and the Associations has been a boon to the
students, I could however directly reach out to the 30,000 Teachers in the DGS. We therefore decided to meet directly
system. The Quick Report also explains how the Teachers were taught skills for improved classroom teaching of subjects,

vi YUVA YUVA vii

absent, and were much in demand in the private tuition market. A little unofficial detective work also revealed that these with all the Teachers so that we could convey the Vision and the Goals clearly with the minimum "transmission
very same Teachers had the worst performances in terms of their students in the Government schools, and the highest loss". This turned out to be one of the most significant decisions we made under YUVA as it enabled me and
levels of absenteeism. On another occasion, responding to many comments from students that their Teachers were others to cut through seven layers of bureaucracy in between, and we are indeed very grateful to all the colleges of

always sleeping in school, we traced it to a separate group of Teachers who though attending school during the day, Delhi University for permitting us to use their auditoriums over the past few years as this allowed us to interact with upto 500

spent almost the whole night coaching private students for medical and engineering entrance exams. They could hardly Teachers at a time. In this way we met all our Teachers and gave them an opportunity to speak, and what we heard really

keep their eyes open during school hours. The performance of their students in Government Schools was also very poor. surprised us. We were all talking about the schools and the students but all they spoke about was themselves. They spoke

There was yet a third category of Teachers who though largely attending school and being wide awake were mostly about their personal problems at home with their family members and they spoke about their problems with the Principals

ineffective in the classroom. An incident narrated by Shri Ashok Ganguly, the former Chairman CBSE illustrates this. He and the officials of the Department. They spoke about their disillusionment with their career, with the delays in promotions,
the absence of transparency in all dealings especially transfers, with the way they were treated both within and outside the
paid a surprise visit to a school (not in Delhi) and sat on the last row of a Primary class. He sat the whole day and yet not
system, and with insecurity in schools. They complained of poor relationships, ill health, and blamed everyone for their
one of the Teachers noticed him. Now Shri Ganguly looks like a nice grandfather and has totally white hair! How was it
problems from the Principal and officials, to other departments and agencies - they don't clear up the garbage outside my
possible that none of the Teachers noticed that one of their eight year olds had suddenly metamorphosed into an old
house, they don't do their duty, why should I do mine?; we don't get enough water on time so how can I reach school on
man? It was possible because they were not doing their work ethically, they would not even look at their students let alone
time?; with all these power cuts I can't get my work done at home, so how can I concentrate on my school work?; the city is
interact with them. They would enter the class and either teach with their backs to the children and facing the
so unsafe, there's no regular bus to my school which is in a remote area, I need a transfer if I am to work well, and so on.
blackboard, or bark out a few instructions to the students. From students all over Delhi we learnt that things were largely
However, there was one government run department which came in for praise from every single person, and not just
the same in most of their schools. This category comprised the bulk of the Teachers but it also emerged that they were
ordinary praise but lavish praise, and that was the Delhi Metro. So I asked the Teachers "how would you like other people
generally well meaning. This was crucial as this group have been most responsible for the turnaround.
(your family, Parents of students, the CM, media and others) to think of you? In the same way you think of non performing
And yet there was hope. Our inquiries led us to some amazing Teachers and Principals who were doing
departments? Or in the same way you think of the Delhi Metro?" The answer was unanimous – every single Teacher and
outstanding work. Their sincerity and dedication in even the most difficult circumstances was awe inspiring.
They taught children from the most disadvantaged sections of society, their learning achievement levels Principal wanted that they, their school, and the Education Department, should be looked at with the same respect and
were the highest and not only was their pass percentages very high, even 100%, their schools were clean pride that they looked at the Delhi Metro with.
and the best maintained, and most importantly, their students were happy. This group of committed Teachers
This desire for self respect and self esteem, this need for respect from their communities, and indeed their
and Principals exhibited high levels of integrity and principles. All of them without exception, cared about
own families, is the basic strain that YUVA has tapped into and by making it a reality for Teachers and
their students and had created nurturing environments in their schools.
Principals it has made possible radical reforms leading to extraordinary achievements.
However, as a consequence of this overall state of affairs there appeared to be a universal demand for the
Government to hand over it's schools to NGOs or to the private sector "as it obviously couldn't run them". A new It was abundantly clear that there were some very serious problems which the officials of the Department had to
movement to introduce vouchers was introduced and was getting support from parents who were obviously fed up. The resolve. In retrospect I would not like to blame the Teachers and Principals, no one had cared about them, they found it
Planning Commission would frequently point to Delhi's terrible drop out levels which were the highest in the country. The difficult to care about others. In response to what we heard, we decided on a two pronged strategy – one, to
Ministry of Human Resource Development in a ranking of states in 2005 gave Delhi the 35th position' out of 35 States proactively work towards removing all the professional barriers and difficulties which the Teachers and
Principals were facing, and two, to start large scale capacity building programmes which would equip them
and Union Territories. The Courts frequently commented on the sad state of affairs and educationists based in Delhi spent
with both the skills to teach better, and to handle their personal problems and issues of motivation. The first
considerable time criticizing us in meetings and in the media. The President of India wanted to hand over the school in
strategy which we call "Being a Positive and Responsive Employer" is handled in detail in the Department's Quick Report
his Estate (referred to earlier) to an educational NGO since the Government obviously couldn't run it properly.
(Updated) 2008 and it relates how Teachers and Principals are now part of all policy and decision making, and active
There were two choices before us. – let things be, or change them. We choose the latter and so started a
partners in every initiative. Issues of stagnation which had persisted for upto 6 years have been resolved and now there is
fascinating voyage that culminated in sweeping educational and systemic reforms that brought about the
phenomenal improvements referred to in the beginning of this Introduction. no backlog in terms of promotions. Transfers have become transparent and everyone has access to the Secretary and
Director, including the students. Teachers and Principals no longer receive directions on what to do, instead, they decide
I have already mentioned in the Quick Report that the biggest challenge everyone faces in the Government are the
what needs to be done. There has been a huge decentralization of powers and funds in favour of the Principals, giving
numbers – we in Delhi directly handle almost 1000 schools, 35,000 Teachers and staff, and around 1.2 million students.
them more autonomy and a greater say in how their schools shall be run. Significantly, we enjoy very harmonious
The very thought of educational and systemic reforms for such a huge system is daunting, but we approached it the only
relations with the Principal's Association and the Government School Teachers Association (GSTA). They too can meet
way we could – positively. Instead of being intimidated we chose to treat it as a unique opportunity – it because a privilege
the Secretary and Director at any time. Both Associations have been invaluable in the achievement of all the goals, and
to be in a position to make a difference to so many. Although I could never hope to directly reach out to over a million
the complete absence of any friction or discord between the 'management' and the Associations has been a boon to the
students, I could however directly reach out to the 30,000 Teachers in the DGS. We therefore decided to meet directly
system. The Quick Report also explains how the Teachers were taught skills for improved classroom teaching of subjects,

vi YUVA YUVA vii

focusing on "teaching to the test". We all strongly believed that it was totally unacceptable that 52% of all our children had cancer. She was undergoing chemotherapy and so we thought we should delete her name from the list of
were failing the Board exams, and capacity building programmes conducted by the SCERT and the Department took Trainers for the first YUVA Training programme. Imagine our surprise and admiration, when she came directly to the
Teachers through every step of all exams from the syllabus, previous years questions papers, the pattern of giving marks, training venue straight from hospital, straight from a cycle of chemotherapy. Not only that, she beamed at everyone
and laboratory practicals. Both these interventions are briefly given in session 10(b) of Module One of the YUVA SLP and her face glowed with fulfillment and contentment. She is just one of many thousands of exceptionally
Handbook, as are two other crucial ones, namely, improving the infrastructure and using e-governance. outstanding and extraordinary Teachers, Principals and officials in our system. Both Module One: For Teachers and
Parents, and Module Three: Classroom Sessions under YUVA For All, start with sessions on positive attitude. In
To my mind the most significant step was the introduction of motivational Life Skills based training and
order to explain this to children we thought a lot and tried out different methods. Then we chanced upon a very
the conversion of our schools into places where learning is joyful, interesting and meaningful. These
interesting story which works with everyone who reads it. It is about a woman who was always crying because
are given in all the volumes of the YUVA SLP Handbooks. It is because of all these that there is a very
strong chance that all the reforms will be sustained. Once the Teachers and Principals feel valued, once whenever the weather was sunny she would think of her daughter who sold umbrellas, and would not be making
they have tasted success and high levels of respect, once they are empowered to teach and to deal any sales. When it was raining she cried all the time thinking of her other daughter who needed the sun to make
positively with whatever life throws at them, once they see a purpose and meaning in their school work pappads to sell, and would not be making any sales. So she cried all the time, the eternal pessimist, looking at only
– that is when they themselves will provide the momentum to sustain all the reforms. the dark side. Then she met a monk who said he would give her a magic trick so that she was always happy. This is
what he told her: when it rains, think of your daughter who sells umbrellas and the huge sales she will make. When it
In designing our response to all that was raised, one that would provide answers to the problems and suggest
is sunny think of all the pappads your other daughter will make and the huge amount she will be able to sell. So the
methodologies to reach the goals, we turned to Life Skills Education (LSE) as laid down by the World Health
old lady tried this out and lo and behold! She started smiling every day. And all by looking at the same situation
Organisation namely self-awareness and empathy, creative thinking and critical thinking, decision-making
from a different perspective. The old lady learnt the skill of being positive, as did thousands of our previously
and problem-solving, effective communication and interpersonal skills, coping with emotions and coping
pessimistic and negative Teachers and Principals, all thanks to the YUVA Training Programmes. A true incident of
with stress. Life Skills Education are Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) of the kind now advocated by the CBSE and
one such Teacher-Mohan- shall be covered later on. Wherever anyone has difficulty in looking at the positive side
all educationists. We also read a very large number of books on motivation and self-help, and spoke to dozens of
and insists or prefers on looking at the negative side (or "bura" in Hindi) then we quote the following lines written by
people of all kinds – the eternal optimist and the perennial defeatist, the positive people and the specialists in negativity,
Kabir in the fifteenth century to them:
in an effort to understand what it was that made some people happy and successful. But at the end of the day our biggest
Teachers were in fact – our own Teachers and Principals! From them we learnt that it is possible to be positive and even
acquire a positive attitude, that it is possible to excel in even the most difficult circumstances and to make a difference to Bura jo dekhan main chala, bura na miliya koi,
hundreds and thousands of children who come from the most vulnerable backgrounds. We found that these Teachers Jab dil khoja aapna, mujhse bura na koi.
and Principals were self motivated and that they had high personal values and principles. All worked very hard and
sincerely with integrity, commitment and dedication. They persevered even in the face of adversity, and significantly, all
In essence, this means:
were very popular in their schools and were much loved and respected by their students. Moreover, they were happy in
their relationships and with their families. Almost all of them smiled a lot and had a very cheerful disposition. We took I went out determined to see only all that was "bad", but I couldn’t find anything, Then when I searched my

everything we learnt, put it all together and evolved what we fondly call "YUVA Skills". We have consciously decided to heart, I realized that there was no one more "bad" than me.
(Adapted)
call them skills because they can be learnt (acquired) and therefore taught, because they can be specifically used, and
because their use makes all our lives so much better. The YUVA SLP Handbooks contain activities that promote the use of Similarly, when we go searching for all that is positive and good in others, somewhere along the line, these

YUVA Skills in every day life both at home and at work. None of these are watertight, and all overlap each other. For very same values take up residence in our hearts, and in our lives.

instance, is showing appreciation an attribute of being positive? Or do we show appreciation because we made the
right choice to do so? Or could it be because we value others? The fact is that the following six YUVA Skills complement 2. Make the Right Choices. All of us have the power of choice – the power to be positive, to forgive, to show
each other seamlessly and need to be followed holistically and together. These YUVA Skills are: kindness and compassion, to have values and principles, to be a person of integrity and character, to love our
1. Be Positive. Look at the bright side of life, count your blessings, realize that things could be worse, include children, to show our appreciation. In many ways this is perhaps the most important of all, and if it came to
appreciation and gratitude in your vocabulary, smile and laugh. The first and foremost YUVA Skill which all our choosing just one YUVA Skill it would be this, for if we make the right choices then all other YUVA Skills will
successful Teachers and Principals had was their utter and completely positive outlook on life- their I CAN DO spirit. automatically follow. However, all the other skills also work together to help us to make the right choice. The
They sparkled with a vitality all their own and they positively radiated energy. It was a pleasure being with them sessions in the YUVA SLP emanating from this skill are included in the Domain "Doing the Right Thing", which
and they have constantly lifted the spirits of everyone who meets them. I can never forget one such Teacher who derives its inspiration from what Mahatma Gandhi said :

viii YUVA YUVA ix

focusing on "teaching to the test". We all strongly believed that it was totally unacceptable that 52% of all our children had cancer. She was undergoing chemotherapy and so we thought we should delete her name from the list of
were failing the Board exams, and capacity building programmes conducted by the SCERT and the Department took Trainers for the first YUVA Training programme. Imagine our surprise and admiration, when she came directly to the
Teachers through every step of all exams from the syllabus, previous years questions papers, the pattern of giving marks, training venue straight from hospital, straight from a cycle of chemotherapy. Not only that, she beamed at everyone
and laboratory practicals. Both these interventions are briefly given in session 10(b) of Module One of the YUVA SLP and her face glowed with fulfillment and contentment. She is just one of many thousands of exceptionally
Handbook, as are two other crucial ones, namely, improving the infrastructure and using e-governance. outstanding and extraordinary Teachers, Principals and officials in our system. Both Module One: For Teachers and
Parents, and Module Three: Classroom Sessions under YUVA For All, start with sessions on positive attitude. In
To my mind the most significant step was the introduction of motivational Life Skills based training and
order to explain this to children we thought a lot and tried out different methods. Then we chanced upon a very
the conversion of our schools into places where learning is joyful, interesting and meaningful. These
interesting story which works with everyone who reads it. It is about a woman who was always crying because
are given in all the volumes of the YUVA SLP Handbooks. It is because of all these that there is a very
strong chance that all the reforms will be sustained. Once the Teachers and Principals feel valued, once whenever the weather was sunny she would think of her daughter who sold umbrellas, and would not be making
they have tasted success and high levels of respect, once they are empowered to teach and to deal any sales. When it was raining she cried all the time thinking of her other daughter who needed the sun to make
positively with whatever life throws at them, once they see a purpose and meaning in their school work pappads to sell, and would not be making any sales. So she cried all the time, the eternal pessimist, looking at only
– that is when they themselves will provide the momentum to sustain all the reforms. the dark side. Then she met a monk who said he would give her a magic trick so that she was always happy. This is
what he told her: when it rains, think of your daughter who sells umbrellas and the huge sales she will make. When it
In designing our response to all that was raised, one that would provide answers to the problems and suggest
is sunny think of all the pappads your other daughter will make and the huge amount she will be able to sell. So the
methodologies to reach the goals, we turned to Life Skills Education (LSE) as laid down by the World Health
old lady tried this out and lo and behold! She started smiling every day. And all by looking at the same situation
Organisation namely self-awareness and empathy, creative thinking and critical thinking, decision-making
from a different perspective. The old lady learnt the skill of being positive, as did thousands of our previously
and problem-solving, effective communication and interpersonal skills, coping with emotions and coping
pessimistic and negative Teachers and Principals, all thanks to the YUVA Training Programmes. A true incident of
with stress. Life Skills Education are Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) of the kind now advocated by the CBSE and
one such Teacher-Mohan- shall be covered later on. Wherever anyone has difficulty in looking at the positive side
all educationists. We also read a very large number of books on motivation and self-help, and spoke to dozens of
and insists or prefers on looking at the negative side (or "bura" in Hindi) then we quote the following lines written by
people of all kinds – the eternal optimist and the perennial defeatist, the positive people and the specialists in negativity,
Kabir in the fifteenth century to them:
in an effort to understand what it was that made some people happy and successful. But at the end of the day our biggest
Teachers were in fact – our own Teachers and Principals! From them we learnt that it is possible to be positive and even
acquire a positive attitude, that it is possible to excel in even the most difficult circumstances and to make a difference to Bura jo dekhan main chala, bura na miliya koi,
hundreds and thousands of children who come from the most vulnerable backgrounds. We found that these Teachers Jab dil khoja aapna, mujhse bura na koi.
and Principals were self motivated and that they had high personal values and principles. All worked very hard and
sincerely with integrity, commitment and dedication. They persevered even in the face of adversity, and significantly, all
In essence, this means:
were very popular in their schools and were much loved and respected by their students. Moreover, they were happy in
their relationships and with their families. Almost all of them smiled a lot and had a very cheerful disposition. We took I went out determined to see only all that was "bad", but I couldn’t find anything, Then when I searched my

everything we learnt, put it all together and evolved what we fondly call "YUVA Skills". We have consciously decided to heart, I realized that there was no one more "bad" than me.
(Adapted)
call them skills because they can be learnt (acquired) and therefore taught, because they can be specifically used, and
because their use makes all our lives so much better. The YUVA SLP Handbooks contain activities that promote the use of Similarly, when we go searching for all that is positive and good in others, somewhere along the line, these

YUVA Skills in every day life both at home and at work. None of these are watertight, and all overlap each other. For very same values take up residence in our hearts, and in our lives.

instance, is showing appreciation an attribute of being positive? Or do we show appreciation because we made the
right choice to do so? Or could it be because we value others? The fact is that the following six YUVA Skills complement 2. Make the Right Choices. All of us have the power of choice – the power to be positive, to forgive, to show
each other seamlessly and need to be followed holistically and together. These YUVA Skills are: kindness and compassion, to have values and principles, to be a person of integrity and character, to love our
1. Be Positive. Look at the bright side of life, count your blessings, realize that things could be worse, include children, to show our appreciation. In many ways this is perhaps the most important of all, and if it came to
appreciation and gratitude in your vocabulary, smile and laugh. The first and foremost YUVA Skill which all our choosing just one YUVA Skill it would be this, for if we make the right choices then all other YUVA Skills will
successful Teachers and Principals had was their utter and completely positive outlook on life- their I CAN DO spirit. automatically follow. However, all the other skills also work together to help us to make the right choice. The
They sparkled with a vitality all their own and they positively radiated energy. It was a pleasure being with them sessions in the YUVA SLP emanating from this skill are included in the Domain "Doing the Right Thing", which
and they have constantly lifted the spirits of everyone who meets them. I can never forget one such Teacher who derives its inspiration from what Mahatma Gandhi said :

viii YUVA YUVA ix

 IT'S THE ACTION, In his book Winning Jack Welch recounts an incident where a very successful executive decides to leave her
NOT THE FRUIT OF THE ACTION, company. Why? Because although she had everything, she didn’t feel "valued" there. When we started our

THAT'S IMPORTANT. professional development programmes and chose to give opportunities to Teachers and Principals to speak, when
we chose to hear what they said, and when we chose to respond to what we heard, the Teachers came back and
YOU HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
told us that they "felt valued". This feeling is perhaps best understood when someone is actually listening to us, when
IT MAY NOT BE IN YOUR POWER,
they care, and when they appreciate us (and of course, when we behave in the same way towards others).
MAY NOT BE IN YOUR TIME,
Since it is so very pivotal there are a number of sessions in the YUVA SLP which encourage our students to adopt
THAT THERE'LL BE ANY FRUIT.
these steps. Being positive, valuing others and showing appreciation seems to be difficult for many people. They
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN prefer to be critical. It is so easy to find fault, to criticize and to destroy. But it is difficult to find and give praise, to
YOU STOP DOING THE RIGHT THING. encourage and to build. In his film Taare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan recounts how people in a tropical island never
YOU MAY NEVER KNOW WHAT RESULTS cut trees. Instead, they all stand around the tree and criticize and abuse it. The tree gradually withers away and
FROM YOUR ACTION. dies. People are also like that – constant haranguing and criticism can lead to people literally dying from inside.

BUT IF YOU DO NOTHING, They are demoralized and left with no motivation to change, even if they are in the wrong. It was like that with the
Education Department in 2005. A barrage of uniformly critical comments had left the Department too weak to
THERE WILL BE NO RESULT.
respond positively. Appreciating others and choosing to highlight their positive traits however is a very powerful
tool, as Kabir pointed out in his immortal doha:
3 Do Your Best. Always try, persevere, don't get de-motivated or demoralized, do your best and don't worry about
the rest. Aisi baani boliye, man ka aapa khoy,
During a visit to one of our schools the students staged an excellent play which they had scripted themselves. It was Auron ko sheetal kare, aap hoon sheetal hoy
largely about the pressures that students today face, and at the end they presented me with a very moving poem
which they had written and which has been included in Module One in session 1.3. It was a poem to their Parents Speak only those words which will calm your mind,
and spoke about the high expectations that Parents have, and of the children's fear that they may not be able to live Words which will bring bliss to others, and rest your mind
up to these. The poem ended with the beautiful lines: (Adapted)

And so it was with the words of appreciation and the value that we gave Teachers and Principals under YUVA.
"I may not be the brightest star but let me be your star
I will remain yours and yours, always".
5. Believe that there is a Purpose and Meaning in all that you do.The origin of the this YUVA Skill can be traced to
a very important experience in my life which I once shared with Teachers and Principals. It struck a chord with them
What more touching statement can children make to their Parents. The huge pressures which Parents put on their
and I began to quote it regularly thereafter. It happened a few years ago when I was posted in the Municipal
children is causing them enormous harm. Not every child can get 90 out of 100 in all subjects, and win prizes for
Corporation of Delhi (MCD), arguably one of the most challenging of all postings. A group of elderly gentlemen –
every thing. Let us encourage them to always do their best because that is all that any of us can do. After that, we
all above 80 – met me regarding a case concerning them. The MCD had issued the necessary approvals in the case
must give them all our love for they are our brightest star.
but the elderly gentlemen had not received what they had been promised, and they had been waiting for many
Under YUVA also all we have ever expected from our Teachers and Principals is that they do their best. Not once
years. I called for the papers and ensured that the commitments were fulfilled, for which I took a few weeks. After
have we raised unreasonable demands or set unrealistic, unreachable goals. Our successes are due to the simple
that I forgot about it. A few days later one of the elderly gentlemen tried to meet me. I am normally very hospitable
fact that our Teachers and Principals are doing their best. This involves a lot of hard work and there are no shortcuts,
but it was a hot, sweltering day and everything was going wrong. We were in the midst of a serious crisis and
but once you’ve done the best you will feel a huge sense of fulfillment because you know that there is nothing more
dozens of officers were coming in and out of my office while many more sat with me poring over reports. Everything
you could have done.
that could go wrong was going wrong and I was feeling the stress and tension. I was just not in a mood to meet the
elderly gentleman, particularly since I knew that I had taken just a few weeks to fulfill a commitment to him which
4. Value Yourself and Others. All of us are worth loving whether we are dark or fair, skinny or plump, tall or short, had been pending for many years. However after waiting for some time, he quietly walked into my office, and I am
female or male, young or old. All of us deserve respect and we should give respect to others. All of us are equal with ashamed to say that all I felt at that time was irritation. But he gently folded his hands, and said softly "I have come
the same rights and duties. We should listen to others and be responsive to what they say. only to say thank you". And then he quoted a few lines to me which I have never forgotten:

x YUVA YUVA xi
 IT'S THE ACTION,
NOT THE FRUIT OF THE ACTION, In his book Winning Jack Welch recounts an incident where a very successful executive decides to leave her

THAT'S IMPORTANT. company. Why? Because although she had everything, she didn’t feel "valued" there. When we started our
professional development programmes and chose to give opportunities to Teachers and Principals to speak, when
YOU HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
we chose to hear what they said, and when we chose to respond to what we heard, the Teachers came back and
IT MAY NOT BE IN YOUR POWER,
told us that they "felt valued". This feeling is perhaps best understood when someone is actually listening to us, when
MAY NOT BE IN YOUR TIME,
they care, and when they appreciate us (and of course, when we behave in the same way towards others).
THAT THERE'LL BE ANY FRUIT.
Since it is so very pivotal there are a number of sessions in the YUVA SLP which encourage our students to adopt
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN these steps. Being positive, valuing others and showing appreciation seems to be difficult for many people. They
YOU STOP DOING THE RIGHT THING. prefer to be critical. It is so easy to find fault, to criticize and to destroy. But it is difficult to find and give praise, to
YOU MAY NEVER KNOW WHAT RESULTS encourage and to build. In his film Taare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan recounts how people in a tropical island never
FROM YOUR ACTION. cut trees. Instead, they all stand around the tree and criticize and abuse it. The tree gradually withers away and
dies. People are also like that – constant haranguing and criticism can lead to people literally dying from inside.
BUT IF YOU DO NOTHING,
They are demoralized and left with no motivation to change, even if they are in the wrong. It was like that with the
THERE WILL BE NO RESULT.
Education Department in 2005. A barrage of uniformly critical comments had left the Department too weak to
respond positively. Appreciating others and choosing to highlight their positive traits however is a very powerful
3 Do Your Best. Always try, persevere, don't get de-motivated or demoralized, do your best and don't worry about tool, as Kabir pointed out in his immortal doha:
the rest.
During a visit to one of our schools the students staged an excellent play which they had scripted themselves. It was Aisi baani boliye, man ka aapa khoy,
largely about the pressures that students today face, and at the end they presented me with a very moving poem Auron ko sheetal kare, aap hoon sheetal hoy
which they had written and which has been included in Module One in session 1.3. It was a poem to their Parents
and spoke about the high expectations that Parents have, and of the children's fear that they may not be able to live Speak only those words which will calm your mind,
up to these. The poem ended with the beautiful lines: Words which will bring bliss to others, and rest your mind
(Adapted)

"I may not be the brightest star but let me be your star And so it was with the words of appreciation and the value that we gave Teachers and Principals under YUVA.
I will remain yours and yours, always".

5. Believe that there is a Purpose and Meaning in all that you do.The origin of this YUVA Skill can be traced to
What more touching statement can children make to their Parents. The huge pressures which Parents put on their
a very important experience in my life which I once shared with Teachers and Principals. It struck a chord with them
children is causing them enormous harm. Not every child can get 90 out of 100 in all subjects, and win prizes for
and I began to quote it regularly thereafter. It happened a few years ago. A group of elderly gentlemen –
every thing. Let us encourage them to always do their best because that is all that any of us can do. After that, we
all above 80 – met me regarding a case concerning them. The necessary approvals in the case had been issued
must give them all our love for they are our brightest star.
but the elderly gentlemen had not received what they had been promised, and they had been waiting for many
Under YUVA also all we have ever expected from our Teachers and Principals is that they do their best. Not once
years. I called for the papers and ensured that the commitments were fulfilled, for which I took a few weeks. After
have we raised unreasonable demands or set unrealistic, unreachable goals. Our successes are due to the simple
that I forgot about it. A few days later one of the elderly gentlemen tried to meet me. I am normally very hospitable
fact that our Teachers and Principals are doing their best. This involves a lot of hard work and there are no shortcuts,
but it was a hot, sweltering day and everything was going wrong. We were in the midst of a serious crisis and
but once you’ve done the best you will feel a huge sense of fulfillment because you know that there is nothing more
dozens of officers were coming in and out of my office while many more sat with me poring over reports. Everything
you could have done.
that could go wrong was going wrong and I was feeling the stress and tension. I was just not in a mood to meet the
elderly gentleman, particularly since I knew that I had taken just a few weeks to fulfill a commitment to him which
4. Value Yourself and Others. All of us are worth loving whether we are dark or fair, skinny or plump, tall or short, had been pending for many years. However after waiting for some time, he quietly walked into my office, and I am
female or male, young or old. All of us deserve respect and we should give respect to others. All of us are equal with ashamed to say that all I felt at that time was irritation. But he gently folded his hands, and said softly "I have come
the same rights and duties. We should listen to others and be responsive to what they say. only to say thank you". And then he quoted a few lines to me which I have never forgotten:

x YUVA YUVA xi
 Aap jo kar rahe ho, After we allowed all schools to screen good films, including Hindi films, one of the most popular choices was the film
Koi dekhe ya na dekhe, 'Iqbal'. At another training session a Teacher quoted from a song from this film, written by Irfan Siddique:
Woh sab kuch dekh raha hai.
Aap jo kar rahe ho,
Kuch aisa karke dikha,
Koi dekhe ya na dekhe
Khud khush ho jaye khuda,
Woh sab kuch dekh raha hai,
Do Something,
Woh aap ko sab kuch dega.
Which will make God happy
(Adapted)
Whatever you are doing,
Even if no one else sees,
He (God) sees everything. After that, discussing the connect between Teachers and their "Punya ka kaam" is part of all our activities. In all my
Whatever you are doing, interactions with Teachers and Principals only one said that he was not religious but he went on to add that he
Even if no one else sees, believed in the Bhagwad Gita’s dictum "work is worship". Spirituality has therefore played a role in this
He sees everything, and Department's successes and I have lost count of the large number of Teachers and Principals who have thanked me
He will give you everything.
for this approach explaining that with this connect, they are now feeling a deep, abiding sense of fulfillment and
contentment with their work, and in their lives.
It is difficult to describe the effect that his words had on all of us. There was a stunned silence, and suddenly the day
was not so hot anymore. Suddenly the crisis seemed manageable. All of us went home that day with a greater sense 6. Listen to your Heart The sixth and last YUVA Skill is the simplest, and yet sometimes the hardest to follow. There are
of peace and calm. These words from a total stranger have helped me and I frequently think of them. IAS officers are many things that all of us want to do, many paths we want to follow but we are stopped from doing so because we
privileged to be in a position where they can make a difference to many people, and I have been thanked many end up listening more to our mind. Our mind is not as courageous as our heart and it all too frequently keeps telling
times in my career. But these simple words, spoken with so much kindness, touched a chord in me. It was as if the us why we can't do something, or reminding us of what "other people are saying" - that we can't improve our
elderly gentleman could sense the turmoil and he used just the right words. It is really incredible and yet a fact of life academic results (What are you thinking of Rina? Your children come from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
that sometimes a perfect stranger walks into our life, or an incident happens, and things are never the same again. I Be happy if you get even a 2% annual increase);
never saw the elderly gentleman again but wherever he is, I thank him very much. that we can’t provide motivational training to our Teachers in batch sizes of 500 (What are you doing Rina? Don't
During our interactions with Teachers and Principals we realized that all of them were very religious, that they you know that Teacher training should only be imparted to around 30 Teachers at a time?);
regularly visited their temples, masjids, churches and gurudwaras, and that they also regularly prayed to their God. that we can't talk about spirituality (What are you doing Rina? Running a spiritual T.V channel?) ;
Combining all that we had learnt, I narrated my experience and then gently asked our Teachers and Principals that we can't think creatively and critically and evolve a hypothesis that all children are capable of passing exams
whether they believed that their God was fair and just, and could see them, and listen to their prayers? They all said and that all they need to achieve this is for their Teachers to teach them with integrity ( What ? What are you saying?
yes. We then asked them whether they thought their God was happy to see the state of affairs in their school? Could Of course it's not true, otherwise someone else would have said so in India and proved it long before you);
their God really grant all the prayers sent up by a Teacher who took a full government salary and benefits but who that we can't send students on local or outstation tours, or renovate the buildings, or introduce BaLA (Why are you
hardly attended school or always reached late, or didn't bother to teach his/her class, who was insensitive to the insisting madam? Don't you know how much money all this will cost?) and so on.
needs of the students and used corporal punishment? We went on to gently explain that just as they went to a During our interactions with the most successful Teachers and Principals in the system we noticed how most of them
temple, masjid, gurudwara or church – their school was also their temple, masjid, gurudwara and church and frequently referred to their "dil" (heart). When I asked them how they were able to achieve such magnificent triumphs
teaching children and giving them a chance at a better life was "Punya ka Kaam", literally, God's work. in the face of so much adversity their replies would largely be along the following: "Mujhe dil se laga yeh sahi hai" ( I
Later on during a training session one of our Teachers recited a stirring couplet by the Urdu poet Nida Fazli which felt from my heart that this was the right thing to do); "Mera dil ne kaha - karo! Bas, main ne kar liya" (My heart said-
further affirmed that helping our students was surely a way to God: do it! That’s it, I did it); "Main ne dil ki sooni" (I listened to my heart).
Looking back, I do feel that our successes have been largely due to our ability to listen to our heart , for it is our heart
which always tells us where our passions and responsibilities lie, and it shows us the 'right' way. Listening to your
Masjid hain yahaan se door, chalo aisa kar le,
heart is being true to yourself, as Shakespeare said in Hamlet:
Kisi rote huye bachche ko hasaya jaye

The Masjid is far from here, let us then wipe the tears of a child and This above all to thine own self be true,
Bring a smile to his face, for in doing so we will find our Lord And it must follow as the night the day,
(Adapted) thou cannot be false to any man.

xii YUVA YUVA xiii

 Aap jo kar rahe ho, After we allowed all schools to screen good films, including Hindi films, one of the most popular choices was the film
Koi dekhe ya na dekhe, 'Iqbal'. At another training session a Teacher quoted from a song from this film, written by Irfan Siddique:
Woh sab kuch dekh raha hai.
Aap jo kar rahe ho,
Kuch aisa karke dikha,
Koi dekhe ya na dekhe
Khud khush ho jaye khuda,
Woh sab kuch dekh raha hai,
Do Something,
Woh aap ko sab kuch dega.
Which will make God happy
(Adapted)
Whatever you are doing,
Even if no one else sees,
He (God) sees everything. After that, discussing the connect between Teachers and their "Punya ka kaam" is part of all our activities. In all my
Whatever you are doing, interactions with Teachers and Principals only one said that he was not religious but he went on to add that he
Even if no one else sees, believed in the Bhagwad Gita’s dictum "work is worship". Spirituality has therefore played a role in this
He sees everything, and Department's successes and I have lost count of the large number of Teachers and Principals who have thanked me
He will give you everything.
for this approach explaining that with this connect, they are now feeling a deep, abiding sense of fulfillment and
contentment with their work, and in their lives.
It is difficult to describe the effect that his words had on all of us. There was a stunned silence, and suddenly the day
was not so hot anymore. Suddenly the crisis seemed manageable. All of us went home that day with a greater sense 6. Listen to your Heart The sixth and last YUVA Skill is the simplest, and yet sometimes the hardest to follow. There are
of peace and calm. These words from a total stranger have helped me and I frequently think of them. IAS officers are many things that all of us want to do, many paths we want to follow but we are stopped from doing so because we
privileged to be in a position where they can make a difference to many people, and I have been thanked many end up listening more to our mind. Our mind is not as courageous as our heart and it all too frequently keeps telling
times in my career. But these simple words, spoken with so much kindness, touched a chord in me. It was as if the us why we can't do something, or reminding us of what "other people are saying" - that we can't improve our
elderly gentleman could sense the turmoil and he used just the right words. It is really incredible and yet a fact of life academic results (What are you thinking of Rina? Your children come from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
that sometimes a perfect stranger walks into our life, or an incident happens, and things are never the same again. I Be happy if you get even a 2% annual increase);
never saw the elderly gentleman again but whenever he is, I thank him very much. that we can’t provide motivational training to our Teachers in batch sizes of 500 (What are you doing Rina? Don't
During our interactions with Teachers and Principals we realized that all of them were very religious, that they you know that Teacher training should only be imparted to around 30 Teachers at a time?);
regularly visited their temples, masjids, churches and gurudwaras, and that they also regularly prayed to their God. that we can't talk about spirituality (What are you doing Rina? Running a spiritual T.V channel?) ;
Combining all that we had learnt, I narrated my experience and then gently asked our Teachers and Principals that we can't think creatively and critically and evolve a hypothesis that all children are capable of passing exams
whether they believed that their God was fair and just, and could see them, and listen to their prayers? They all said and that all they need to achieve this is for their Teachers to teach them with integrity ( What ? What are you saying?
yes. We then asked them whether they thought their God was happy to see the state of affairs in their school? Could Of course it's not true, otherwise someone else would have said so in India and proved it long before you);
their God really grant all the prayers sent up by a Teacher who took a full government salary and benefits but who that we can't send students on local or outstation tours, or renovate the buildings, or introduce BaLA (Why are you
hardly attended school or always reached late, or didn't bother to teach his/her class, who was insensitive to the insisting madam? Don't you know how much money all this will cost?) and so on.
needs of the students and used corporal punishment? We went on to gently explain that just as they went to a During our interactions with the most successful Teachers and Principals in the system we noticed how most of them
temple, masjid, gurudwara or church – their school was also their temple, masjid, gurudwara and church and frequently referred to their "dil" (heart). When I asked them how they were able to achieve such magnificent triumphs
teaching children and giving them a chance at a better life was "Punya ka Kaam", literally, God's work. in the face of so much adversity their replies would largely be along the following: "Mujhe dil se laga yeh sahi hai" ( I
Later on during a training session one of our Teachers recited a stirring couplet by the Urdu poet Nida Fazli which felt from my heart that this was the right thing to do); "Mera dil ne kaha - karo! Bas, main ne kar liya" (My heart said-
further affirmed that helping our students was surely a way to God: do it! That’s it, I did it); "Main ne dil ki sooni" (I listened to my heart).
Looking back, I do feel that our successes have been largely due to our ability to listen to our heart , for it is our heart
which always tells us where our passions and responsibilities lie, and it shows us the 'right' way. Listening to your
Masjid hain yahaan se door, chalo aisa kar le,
heart is being true to yourself, as Shakespeare said in Hamlet:
Kisi rote huye bachche ko hasaya jaye

The Masjid is far from here, let us then wipe the tears of a child and This above all to thine own self be true,
Bring a smile to his face, for in doing so we will find our Lord And it must follow as the night the day,
(Adapted) thou cannot be false to any man.

xii YUVA YUVA xiii

 Following your heart however is seldom easy and too many people and circumstances seem to conspire to make us Modules Three and Four are classroom sessions for students in classes VI to XII and they need a total of 24
listen to the voices of negativity and of fear in our mind. When some of our Teachers stood their ground and hours extra time every year to be conducted.
introduced joyful learning methodologies at a time when it was not officially sanctioned, and their Principal and
The origins of these sessions go back to the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) developed in November 2005
officials harassed them for it, they drew strength form being true to their selves and in doing the right thing.
in association with the Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS). Although a few sessions were considered
When a Principal disregarded conventional wisdom, and again overruled her officials to admit mentally
controversial the rest were unanimously approved. At the same time, many Central and State Ministries and
challenged students to her school, she was walking alone because she believed in what she was doing. This
Departments asked us to incorporate and introduce various topics in the classroom. Other stakeholders suggested we
reminded me of Rabindra Nath Tagore's poem which I learnt as a child:
introduce other new areas. There was a lot of pressure to set up 'Clubs' on a slew of topics and to devote considerable
classroom time to the related activities of these clubs. We reviewed the position and we came to the conclusion that it was
Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tobe ekla cholo re inadvisable to set up dozens of clubs in all schools promoting dozens of activities with each catering only to a handful of
students. The time being demanded for each topic was also impractical as most wanted instruction time of at least 15-20
If no one hears your call, then walk alone. hours a year. If we had agreed to all the proposals then our students would have spent more time on these activities than
If they are afraid and sit silently facing the wall, open your mind and speak out alone. on the school curriculum, and the whole day in school. We therefore had to step in, and we decided to set up only one
more club in all schools, for all students, in addition to the existing Eco-Club and that was the YUVA Club. This will look
If they turn away and desert you when crossing the wilderness, after all other activities in the school. We decided to create sessions on most of the topics referred to us, but in view of the

Trample the thorns under your feet and walk alone. fact that this would be a totally new programme, we consciously decided to restrict it in the initial stage to just 24 hours of
extra classroom instructional time every year. And so was born the YUVA SLP and these Handbooks.This present version
is in English, and the Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi editions will be ready shortly. We have emphasized to our Teachers that
If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,
communication is the most crucial issue, and that they may conduct the sessions in whatever language they normally use
Ignite your own heart with the flame of pain, and let it burn alone.
in the classroom. Teachers have also been given the freedom to modify the sessions if they feel it is necessary. As to who
(Adapted)
will conduct the sessions, it will be upto the Principal to consult her Teachers and make the decision. We hope that
It was because we were true to ourselves and listened to our heart that YUVA was born, and the spectacular everyone will volunteer!
achievements listed out in session 10(b) of Module One became possible.
It was essential of course to equip students with the skills to follow a similar approach. The YUVA SLP not only directly Module One – For Teachers and Parents
provokes lateral thinking through PMI activities but the thread of "listening to the voice of your heart, your
Module One, which is contained in Volume One, is for self study by Teachers (and here we include Principals and
conscience" runs through all the sessions and all the games, role- plays and particularly the individuals whose stories
officials), and Parents. It is to be discussed at all interactions between the Principals and Teachers, at meetings of the VKS
have been included, All of these reinforce the same message - have the courage to walk alone if necessary, but be
(Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti) and PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and also read at home. It is entirely a codification of
true to yourself. This is essential because all the great inventions and positive developments have come about
what has happened, and what has been found to work. It uses fictional Teachers Sunaina (very positive),
because people believed in what they were doing. If India is to be a developed country, a Government run
Shikha (very negative) and Mohan (who moves from being negative to positive after acquiring YUVA Skills)
education system with over a million students must encourage them to have the courage of their beliefs. Sometimes
but all the facts stated are true incidents actually narrated by Teachers during various training programmes.
the path may be a solitary one, and the words of Henry David Thoreau can help us when we are in doubt:
The truly amazing part has been the transformation in the Teachers and even I am constantly surprised at the huge
changes that the YUVA trainings have brought about. We have had Teachers who have openly expressed that their
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. relationships with their students has improved and that they now have better communications with their elderly parents –
Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away" some in fact were communicating openly with their parents, spouses and children for the first time in their lives. It was like
some kind of dam had burst and everyone wanted to share their feelings and experiences. I have witnessed for myself
how utterly negative Teachers have become happy, positive ones and I can vouch for the fact that YUVA Skills are indeed
The YUVA SLP has four parts which are called Modules. Module One is for Teachers and Parents and
should be covered at all interactions including inspections, meetings and training sessions. It does not skills which can be learnt to make all our lives better.
therefore require any additional classroom time. Module One also has a very powerful letter from Ms. Nilam Katara. A Teacher herself, she reached out and touched
Module Two is on ways to make the existing classroom sessions joyful and this also does not need any our Teachers in a way that very few people have, and when she shared her story of bravery and courage, of the choices
extra classroom time. before her, there used to be pin drop silence in the sessions. At the end, YUVA's simple message was: all of us may not

xiv YUVA YUVA xv

 Following your heart however is seldom easy and too many people and circumstances seem to conspire to make us Modules Three and Four are classroom sessions for students in classes VI to XII and they need a total of 24
listen to the voices of negativity and of fear in our mind. When some of our Teachers stood their ground and hours extra time every year to be conducted.
introduced joyful learning methodologies at a time when it was not officially sanctioned, and their Principal and
The origins of these sessions go back to the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) developed in November 2005
officials harassed them for it, they drew strength form being true to their selves and in doing the right thing.
in association with the Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS). Although a few sessions were considered
When a Principal disregarded conventional wisdom, and again overruled her officials to admit mentally
controversial the rest were unanimously approved. At the same time, many Central and State Ministries and
challenged students to her school, she was walking alone because she believed in what she was doing. This
Departments asked us to incorporate and introduce various topics in the classroom. Other stakeholders suggested we
reminded me of Rabindra Nath Tagore's poem which I learnt as a child:
introduce other new areas. There was a lot of pressure to set up 'Clubs' on a slew of topics and to devote considerable
classroom time to the related activities of these clubs. We reviewed the position and we came to the conclusion that it was
Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tobe ekla cholo re inadvisable to set up dozens of clubs in all schools promoting dozens of activities with each catering only to a handful of
students. The time being demanded for each topic was also impractical as most wanted instruction time of at least 15-20
If no one hears your call, then walk alone. hours a year. If we had agreed to all the proposals then our students would have spent more time on these activities than
If they are afraid and sit silently facing the wall, open your mind and speak out alone. on the school curriculum, and the whole day in school. We therefore had to step in, and we decided to set up only one
more club in all schools, for all students, in addition to the existing Eco-Club and that was the YUVA Club. This will look
If they turn away and desert you when crossing the wilderness, after all other activities in the school. We decided to create sessions on most of the topics referred to us, but in view of the

Trample the thorns under your feet and walk alone. fact that this would be a totally new programme, we consciously decided to restrict it in the initial stage to just 24 hours of
extra classroom instructional time every year. And so was born the YUVA SLP and these Handbooks.This present version
is in English, and the Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi editions will be ready shortly. We have emphasized to our Teachers that
If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,
communication is the most crucial issue, and that they may conduct the sessions in whatever language they normally use
Ignite your own heart with the flame of pain, and let it burn alone.
in the classroom. Teachers have also been given the freedom to modify the sessions if they feel it is necessary. As to who
(Adapted)
will conduct the sessions, it will be upto the Principal to consult her Teachers and make the decision. We hope that
It was because we were true to ourselves and listened to our heart that YUVA was born, and the spectacular everyone will volunteer!
achievements listed out in session 10(b) of Module One became possible.
It was essential of course to equip students with the skills to follow a similar approach. The YUVA SLP not only directly Module One – For Teachers and Parents
provokes lateral thinking through PMI activities but the thread of "listening to the voice of your heart, your
Module One, which is contained in Volume One, is for self study by Teachers (and here we include Principals and
conscience" runs through all the sessions and all the games, role- plays and particularly the individuals whose stories
officials), and Parents. It is to be discussed at all interactions between the Principals and Teachers, at meetings of the VKS
have been included, All of these reinforce the same message - have the courage to walk alone if necessary, but be
(Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti) and PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and also read at home. It is entirely a codification of
true to yourself. This is essential because all the great inventions and positive developments have come about
what has happened, and what has been found to work. It uses fictional Teachers Sunaina (very positive),
because people believed in what they were doing. If India is to be a developed country, a Government run
Shikha (very negative) and Mohan (who moves from being negative to positive after acquiring YUVA Skills)
education system with over a million students must encourage them to have the courage of their beliefs. Sometimes
but all the facts stated are true incidents actually narrated by Teachers during various training programmes.
the path may be a solitary one, and the words of Henry David Thoreau can help us when we are in doubt:
The truly amazing part has been the transformation in the Teachers and even I am constantly surprised at the huge
changes that the YUVA trainings have brought about. We have had Teachers who have openly expressed that their
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. relationships with their students has improved and that they now have better communications with their elderly parents –
Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away" some in fact were communicating openly with their parents, spouses and children for the first time in their lives. It was like
some kind of dam had burst and everyone wanted to share their feelings and experiences. I have witnessed for myself
how utterly negative Teachers have become happy, positive ones and I can vouch for the fact that YUVA Skills are indeed
The YUVA SLP has four parts which are called Modules. Module One is for Teachers and Parents and
should be covered at all interactions including inspections, meetings and training sessions. It does not skills which can be learnt to make all our lives better.
therefore require any additional classroom time. Module One also has a very powerful letter from Ms. Nilam Katara. A Teacher herself, she reached out and touched
Module Two is on ways to make the existing classroom sessions joyful and this also does not need any our Teachers in a way that very few people have, and when she shared her story of bravery and courage, of the choices
extra classroom time. before her, there used to be pin drop silence in the sessions. At the end, YUVA's simple message was: all of us may not

xiv YUVA YUVA xv

have the same strength as Nilam Katara, but can we at least muster a little bit of that strength to make both our own lives the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to
and that of our students a better one? When Nilam Katara does not complain – inspite of the huge catastrophe that despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced that it is now. But their
happened in her life -can all of us, who face such tiny discomforts in comparison, find the fortitude and strength to stop time has come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell
being so negative? Can we at least try to be positive? The answer in every session has been a resounding yes! of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons
wending their way to the same goal".
The Hindi Film "Taare Zameen Par" came at just the right time for YUVA. It is a superb film and may have been made
to highlight the problems that children with learning disabilities face but because it is so well researched and realistic, it We realized that almost all our Teachers, complained of poor health but, consistently ignored their health. We have
has actually become a window into the status of most school education in India. The amazing part about the film is that it therefore incorporated sessions on this topic which include simple yoga asanas, instructions on a healthy diet, and
lends itself to so many situations that we realised that we could teach almost everything from it. The first half is all about clarify questions on what a general check up means and how a Teacher should approach this crucial step. The sessions
wrong practices, both by the Teachers and the Parents. It exhibits joyless learning, insensitivity, corporal punishment, are structured to answer the concerns raised by our Teachers and Principals during numerous interactions.
withdrawal, tendency towards extreme measures (suicide?) negative teaching, passive learning, child abuse, and Till here, Module One is largely about Teachers and Parents making a difference to themselves. Through a letter from
overall depicts a classroom which unfortunately too many people recognize. But the second half brilliantly portrays the Virender Sehwag we introduce them to how they make a difference to others. In his letter, Virender Sehwag, a former
correct practices that make up a child friendly school. The new Teacher empathises with the child and shows care and Delhi Government School student, acknowledges the enormous role that his Teacher played in his success and asks all
concern, he adopts joyful learning practices and believes in the theory of multiple intelligence, drawing out the child's Teachers and Parents to identify the various talents that their children have. The last session is actually a reproduction of
enormous creative talents. He does not pass judgment, does not embarrass the child in front of others, and establishes a the Executive Summary in the Department's Quick Report 2008 (Updated) which clearly reveals the phenomenal
bond with him. He converts a previously threatening environment into a nurturing one. The film has come as a real boon difference that our Teachers have made.
and it is extensively used to teach Teachers on what they should be doing in the classroom. It is also used to drive home
the deep pain and anguish that a child feels when she is in a negative situation in school. I have seen our Teachers, both
Module Two – Joyful Learning
men and women, cry silently when the song "Maa" comes on, and the expression on their faces when the child Ishaan is
Module Two of the YUVA SLP is all about turning the school environment into a joyful one where the learning is interesting
subjected to abuse. The film lays the perfect foundation on which to build a discussion on why and how to
and meaningful. Module Two is contained in Volume 2, (although all the Volumes contribute towards joyful learning.) It
create a nurturing school with caring Teachers.
includes those schemes which are part of the YUVA Plan Scheme and initiatives and are universal to all schools (such as
During our interactions with students one of the biggest problems they mentioned was the difference between what
Local and Outstation Tours, VKS, BaLA, Caltoonz, Project Raksha, Mental Maths, Cultural Activities, Sports and Games)
adults were telling them, and what adults were actually doing, both at home, in school and in society at large. The students
and those activities which are presently being undertaken in some schools but which under the YUVA SLP and through the
sensed this dichotomy and the examples they quoted were many. The YUVA TSG therefore decided to evolve a session for
YUVA Clubs, will now be followed by all schools (joyful learning particularly in primary classes, debates, elocutions,
Teachers and Parents on their responsibilities as role-models. It may sound incredible to many people but too many of our
extemporary speaking, laughter therapy, meditation, quizzes, games).
Teachers felt that children had only responsibilities and no rights, that they should be grateful for whatever they receive
One of the most successful components of YUVA has been the Local and Outstation Tours. We realised that in
and should quietly accept it, never once questioning the adults in their life. Their attitude was that schools had not been set
many ways the history of Delhi has played a major role in the history of India for the last 1000 years. Our students study
up to provide education to children but to provide employment to Teachers! Sessions on adults as role models, what
about such things as the Iron Pillar at Mehrauli which is a scientific marvel because although it is over 1600 years old, it
children are learning from us, and on the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child have therefore been incorporated.
hasn't rusted. They also read about the imposing Qutab Minar and the majestic Red Fort, both World Heritage Sites.
As I have mentioned earlier, spirituality is an integral part of all YUVA Skills and in the background of increasing
Their history lessons are replete with references to events in Delhi such as the dawn of independence in Parliament on
tensions amongst communities, our Teachers, Principals and Parents felt it was essential that the YUVA SLP highlighted all
15th August 1947, and the site of the tragic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Delhi has been witness to the First War
that was good in all religions, drawing our students' attention to the commonality in all their basic messages.
of Independence in 1857 and it was the seat of the mighty Mughal Empire. It's every nook and corner has breathtakingly
Significantly this opens a doorway for them to read further and explore the true tenets of all religions. We have therefore
beautiful sites from lavish and spectacular parks and gardens like the Lodhi Gardens, to majestic historical buildings like
included some of the wisest words of wisdom in the session 1.9 "All Under the Same Heaven" in Module One.
Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament, and awe inspiring monuments like Purana Qila and India Gate. Our students
The approach towards Spirituality and its purpose in YUVA is best summed up in the words of Swami Vivekananda in his study about all these in their text books, they live in the same city where these marvels are to be found, but we
historic address to the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. He said: "I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a realised that hardly any of them had actually seen any of these! Our expectation that our children will grow
hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: up to respect their impressive and valuable cultural heritage, that they will protect monuments rather than
deface them, that they will understand and value their enormous cultural legacy, therefore seemed both
‘As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different
ambitious and unrealistic. In order to bridge this gap, we started the Local Tours under YUVA and now every student
paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight , all lead to Thee.
of a DGS- from Standard I to XII- goes on at least one excursion within Delhi every year. These are full day trips and are
Sectarianism bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled
usually structured in such a way that students visit one museum, one park and one monument on each trip. Refreshments

xvi YUVA YUVA xvii

have the same strength as Nilam Katara, but can we at least muster a little bit of that strength to make both our own lives the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to
and that of our students a better one? When Nilam Katara does not complain – inspite of the huge catastrophe that despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced that it is now. But their
happened in her life -can all of us, who face such tiny discomforts in comparison, find the fortitude and strength to stop time has come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell
being so negative? Can we at least try to be positive? The answer in every session has been a resounding yes! of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons
wending their way to the same goal".
The Hindi Film "Taare Zameen Par" came at just the right time for YUVA. It is a superb film and may have been made
to highlight the problems that children with learning disabilities face but because it is so well researched and realistic, it We realized that almost all our Teachers, complained of poor health but, consistently ignored their health. We have
has actually become a window into the status of most school education in India. The amazing part about the film is that it therefore incorporated sessions on this topic which include simple yoga asanas, instructions on a healthy diet, and
lends itself to so many situations that we realised that we could teach almost everything from it. The first half is all about clarify questions on what a general check up means and how a Teacher should approach this crucial step. The sessions
wrong practices, both by the Teachers and the Parents. It exhibits joyless learning, insensitivity, corporal punishment, are structured to answer the concerns raised by our Teachers and Principals during numerous interactions.
withdrawal, tendency towards extreme measures (suicide?) negative teaching, passive learning, child abuse, and Till here, Module One is largely about Teachers and Parents making a difference to themselves. Through a letter from
overall depicts a classroom which unfortunately too many people recognize. But the second half brilliantly portrays the Virender Sehwag we introduce them to how they make a difference to others. In his letter, Virender Sehwag, a former
correct practices that make up a child friendly school. The new Teacher empathises with the child and shows care and Delhi Government School student, acknowledges the enormous role that his Teacher played in his success and asks all
concern, he adopts joyful learning practices and believes in the theory of multiple intelligence, drawing out the child's Teachers and Parents to identify the various talents that their children have. The last session is actually a reproduction of
enormous creative talents. He does not pass judgment, does not embarrass the child in front of others, and establishes a the Executive Summary in the Department's Quick Report 2008 (Updated) which clearly reveals the phenomenal
bond with him. He converts a previously threatening environment into a nurturing one. The film has come as a real boon difference that our Teachers have made.
and it is extensively used to teach Teachers on what they should be doing in the classroom. It is also used to drive home
the deep pain and anguish that a child feels when she is in a negative situation in school. I have seen our Teachers, both
Module Two – Joyful Learning
men and women, cry silently when the song "Maa" comes on, and the expression on their faces when the child Ishaan is
Module Two of the YUVA SLP is all about turning the school environment into a joyful one where the learning is interesting
subjected to abuse. The film lays the perfect foundation on which to build a discussion on why and how to
and meaningful. Module Two is contained in Volume 2, (although all the Volumes contribute towards joyful learning.) It
create a nurturing school with caring Teachers.
includes those schemes which are part of the YUVA Plan Scheme and initiatives and are universal to all schools (such as
During our interactions with students one of the biggest problems they mentioned was the difference between what
Local and Outstation Tours, VKS, BaLA, Caltoonz, Project Raksha, Mental Maths, Cultural Activities, Sports and Games)
adults were telling them, and what adults were actually doing, both at home, in school and in society at large. The students
and those activities which are presently being undertaken in some schools but which under the YUVA SLP and through the
sensed this dichotomy and the examples they quoted were many. The YUVA TSG therefore decided to evolve a session for
YUVA Clubs, will now be followed by all schools (joyful learning particularly in primary classes, debates, elocutions,
Teachers and Parents on their responsibilities as role-models. It may sound incredible to many people but too many of our
extemporary speaking, laughter therapy, meditation, quizzes, games).
Teachers felt that children had only responsibilities and no rights, that they should be grateful for whatever they receive
One of the most successful components of YUVA has been the Local and Outstation Tours. We realised that in
and should quietly accept it, never once questioning the adults in their life. Their attitude was that schools had not been set
many ways the history of Delhi has played a major role in the history of India for the last 1000 years. Our students study
up to provide education to children but to provide employment to Teachers! Sessions on adults as role models, what
about such things as the Iron Pillar at Mehrauli which is a scientific marvel because although it is over 1600 years old, it
children are learning from us, and on the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child have therefore been incorporated.
hasn't rusted. They also read about the imposing Qutab Minar and the majestic Red Fort, both World Heritage Sites.
As I have mentioned earlier, spirituality is an integral part of all YUVA Skills and in the background of increasing
Their history lessons are replete with references to events in Delhi such as the dawn of independence in Parliament on
tensions amongst communities, our Teachers, Principals and Parents felt it was essential that the YUVA SLP highlighted all
15th August 1947, and the site of the tragic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Delhi has been witness to the First War
that was good in all religions, drawing our students' attention to the commonality in all their basic messages.
of Independence in 1857 and it was the seat of the mighty Mughal Empire. It's every nook and corner has breathtakingly
Significantly this opens a doorway for them to read further and explore the true tenets of all religions. We have therefore
beautiful sites from lavish and spectacular parks and gardens like the Lodhi Gardens, to majestic historical buildings like
included some of the wisest words of wisdom in the session 1.9 "All Under the Same Heaven" in Module One.
Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament, and awe inspiring monuments like Purana Qila and India Gate. Our students
The approach towards Spirituality and its purpose in YUVA is best summed up in the words of Swami Vivekananda in his study about all these in their text books, they live in the same city where these marvels are to be found, but we
historic address to the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. He said: "I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a realised that hardly any of them had actually seen any of these! Our expectation that our children will grow
hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: up to respect their impressive and valuable cultural heritage, that they will protect monuments rather than
deface them, that they will understand and value their enormous cultural legacy, therefore seemed both
‘As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different
ambitious and unrealistic. In order to bridge this gap, we started the Local Tours under YUVA and now every student
paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight , all lead to Thee.
of a DGS- from Standard I to XII- goes on at least one excursion within Delhi every year. These are full day trips and are
Sectarianism bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled
usually structured in such a way that students visit one museum, one park and one monument on each trip. Refreshments

xvi YUVA YUVA xvii

are given twice, including a lunch packet. The actual selection of where to go depends on the age of the children and arrangements largely with the Indian Railways who organise and conduct the tours. The Railways were chosen because
their choice. Younger students like the Rail Museum at Chanakayapuri, the Nehru Planetarium, and the Zoo while older most children have never travelled by train. It also allows us to save time and yet send the students to destinations further
students also enjoy the Parliament Museum and National Museum. A very interesting fact which has emerged since away such as Goa (another favourite!). The school students, their Teachers and Principal however have the complete
these Local Tours started is that most of our children have apparently never stepped out of their neighborhood. Most, it freedom to decide the destinations and the routes, as well as the dates. The learning experiences for the students
would appear, attend a nearby DGS school and live and grow up in the same locality. We therefore design the routes in have been immeasurable, for the girl students from the Chandni Chowk area who had never stepped out of
such a way that students are able to see as much of their city as possible as part of the Local Tour. For example, students their neighborhood a trip to Jaipur and Mount Abu was a once in a lifetime experience, for the girls from
Rajokri village who had never even crossed the national highway just a few kilometers from their residences,
from South Delhi visit North Delhi and follow one route to reach there, and a different one on the return.
a trip to Shimla and Manali was a dream come true, for the boys from the slums of South Delhi and East Delhi,
The Local Tours have been an unqualified success and it is not uncommon to see bus loads of excited DGS students a visit to the Wagah Border and Dalhousie meant they saw snow for the first time, and also witnessed one of
crossing the river Yumuna or a national highway for the first time in their lives, especially when the weather is pleasant. the most poignant and elaborate ceremonial functions in the country- the lowering of the Indian flag every
The implications of over a million children and their accompanying Teachers criss crossing the city are quite astonishing. evening at our border with Pakistan.
Over 20,000 bus trips are made, and our students munch their way though millions of sandwiches, apples and
These children are not just studying about unity in diversity and the rich fabric of their country, they
bananas, gulp down thousands of liters of fruit juice and pay entry fees to the government equivalent to that paid by
are experiencing it first hand. Their view of the world has changed and their horizons have expanded
other visitors. In fact, when representatives of other State Governments express apprehensions that their State may not be to encompass smells, tastes, and colours they never imagined of before.
able to afford the huge expense of Local Tours, I point out the advantages to everyone concerned. For example, the
Director of the National Science Centre Shri Khened has frequently referred to the fact that the Centre is The students have a great time on these tours, and the accompanying Teachers and Parents enjoy themselves too. So
receiving the highest number of visitors ever all thanks to DGS students. This huge increase in foot falls is high are the satisfaction levels that as I write, hundreds of officials, students and Teachers are poring over maps and
enabling him to leverage higher funding and improved facilities for the Centre. The expense on the Local Tours railway time-tables, excitedly trying to work out new routes such as a tour to Sikkim and Darjeeling, with a visit to a Tiger
is therefore largely ploughed back to the government and to the economy, enabling the various sites to improve their Reserve and a few other famous places too!
facilities. Most importantly, the children have the time of their lives and they learn valuable, life long lessons on their I noticed that for some season or the other only girls were participating in dances and other performances during
heritage and city. cultural functions. If a co-educational school was involved there used to be a few boys, but usually from the junior classes
We are only in the third year of Local Tours but are preparing to move into the next phase of more structured trips, for alone. Singing and dancing was clearly a "girls thing" in the DGS. This was a shame because all children love to play
example this would include heritage walks organised by INTACH and others, visits to the Air Force base etc. Also on the and dance, it's a wonderful way to express creativity, and it uses up valuable energy in a productive activity. We
anvil are trips to water and sewerage treatment plants, power plants, milk producing units, and Delhi Metro to learn how therefore set up YUVA Clubs in all schools including the boy's schools, and started to involve them in various functions
they function and answer basic questions like: where does the power in my school and home come from? The (these YUVA Clubs now oversee the entire YUVA initiative). We roped in the State Culture Department and the Sahitya
Department is tying up with the Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Metro, Power Department, Mother Dairy and others in this regard. Kala Parishad who brought in professional choreographers. In order to attract the boys, interesting dances based on
Visits to places that would interest children particularly those in junior classes will also be added such as to the Jain Bird martial arts were introduced such as Kalaripettu from Kerala. Giving the boys fake swords and shields and martial dance
Hospital, Animal Shelters, and Railway Station to learn how trains work. steps has been a good idea and now boys are equal participants in all cultural functions. We take care to ensure that the
Students of Standard XI also go on Outstation Tours to locations outside Delhi to learn about their country and it's items are as eclectic as possible and that all dance forms and dances from all states and UTs are covered. Now our DGS
rich diversity. Again, the tours are structured in such a way that at least 2 or 3 major points are covered, for example, one students dance to the rhythm of the Mizo bamboo dance and the Assamese Bihu, they sway to the tune of a
of the most popular tours is Amritsar (Golden Temple) - Wagah Border- Dalhousie( or any other hill station). Students and Maharashtrian fishing community dance and a folk dance from Kashmir, they match steps in a Manipuri martial dance
their Teachers have discovered the joys of visiting the mountains in winter as they get to see and feel some thing they had and in one from Kerala, and they jive happily to a modern dance. We have also incorporated semi-classical dances
only heard of and seen on TV and films- snow. Other popular destinations are Agra to see the Taj Mahal, and all places in based on Kathak and Bharat Natyam into the schools' repertoire. Singing, another area which we keenly focus on, also
Rajasthan, particularly the desert. Delhi infact is very fortunately located and some of India's most awe inspiring natural appeared to be an area where girls had grabbed the limelight. So once again we brought the boys back into the picture
and man made wonders are within easy reach, from the lofty peaks and verdant valleys of the proud Himalayas to the and now they also sing along with the girls at all functions. The YUVA Clubs are also meant for Teachers, to encourage
sand dunes of deserts, from silent jungles to swiftly flowing rivers, and from borders with other states to a border with and identify the vast pool of talent that DGS has. This year's School calendar for instance features painting made by our
another country. It was decided to extend this opportunity to Standard XI students alone for a number of reasons - they are gifted drawing and painting Teachers, and students. We have also incorporated other aspects of creativity such as
at an important and crucial stage when they are young enough to be impressionable, and yet mature enough to take theatre and painting into our school schedule. We plan on conducting a mammoth YUVA Talent search during 2009
care of themselves because safety is our upper most concern on these tours. Additionally, by restricting it to one class we starting at the school level and going onto the zonal, district and finally State levels, to identify our most gifted singers,
can ensure that no student goes on an outstation tour more than once, and that ultimately all students in DGS get this dancers and actors, both from amongst the students and the Teachers. Cultural activities have always been a strong point
opportunity. In addition to Teachers, one Parent also accompanies the Tours. For the moment the Department has made
of DGS, but our focus on involving everyone including boys and Teachers, on bringing in professional choreographers,

xviii YUVA YUVA xix

are given twice, including a lunch packet. The actual selection of where to go depends on the age of the children and arrangements largely with the Indian Railways who organise and conduct the tours. The Railways were chosen because
their choice. Younger students like the Rail Museum at Chanakayapuri, the Nehru Planetarium, and the Zoo while older most children have never travelled by train. It also allows us to save time and yet send the students to destinations further
students also enjoy the Parliament Museum and National Museum. A very interesting fact which has emerged since away such as Goa (another favourite!). The school students, their Teachers and Principal however have the complete
these Local Tours started is that most of our children have apparently never stepped out of their neighborhood. Most, it freedom to decide the destinations and the routes, as well as the dates. The learning experiences for the students
would appear, attend a nearby DGS school and live and grow up in the same locality. We therefore design the routes in have been immeasurable, for the girl students from the Chandni Chowk area who had never stepped out of
such a way that students are able to see as much of their city as possible as part of the Local Tour. For example, students their neighborhood a trip to Jaipur and Mount Abu was a once in a lifetime experience, for the girls from
Rajokri village who had never even crossed the national highway just a few kilometers from their residences,
from South Delhi visit North Delhi and follow one route to reach there, and a different one on the return.
a trip to Shimla and Manali was a dream come true, for the boys from the slums of South Delhi and East Delhi,
The Local Tours have been an unqualified success and it is not uncommon to see bus loads of excited DGS students a visit to the Wagah Border and Dalhousie meant they saw snow for the first time, and also witnessed one of
crossing the river Yumuna or a national highway for the first time in their lives, especially when the weather is pleasant. the most poignant and elaborate ceremonial functions in the country- the lowering of the Indian flag every
The implications of over a million children and their accompanying Teachers criss crossing the city are quite astonishing. evening at our border with Pakistan.
Over 20,000 bus trips are made, and our students munch their way though millions of sandwiches, apples and
These children are not just studying about unity in diversity and the rich fabric of their country, they
bananas, gulp down thousands of liters of fruit juice and pay entry fees to the government equivalent to that paid by
are experiencing it first hand. Their view of the world has changed and their horizons have expanded
other visitors. In fact, when representatives of other State Governments express apprehensions that their State may not be to encompass smells, tastes, and colours they never imagined of before.
able to afford the huge expense of Local Tours, I point out the advantages to everyone concerned. For example, the
Director of the National Science Centre Shri Khened has frequently referred to the fact that the Centre is The students have a great time on these tours, and the accompanying Teachers and Parents enjoy themselves too. So
receiving the highest number of visitors ever all thanks to DGS students. This huge increase in foot falls is high are the satisfaction levels that as I write, hundreds of officials, students and Teachers are poring over maps and
enabling him to leverage higher funding and improved facilities for the Centre. The expense on the Local Tours railway time-tables, excitedly trying to work out new routes such as a tour to Sikkim and Darjeeling, with a visit to a Tiger
is therefore largely ploughed back to the government and to the economy, enabling the various sites to improve their Reserve and a few other famous places too!
facilities. Most importantly, the children have the time of their lives and they learn valuable, life long lessons on their I noticed that for some season or the other only girls were participating in dances and other performances during
heritage and city. cultural functions. If a co-educational school was involved there used to be a few boys, but usually from the junior classes
We are only in the third year of Local Tours but are preparing to move into the next phase of more structured trips, for alone. Singing and dancing was clearly a "girls thing" in the DGS. This was a shame because all children love to play
example this would include heritage walks organised by INTACH and others, visits to the Air Force base etc. Also on the and dance, it's a wonderful way to express creativity, and it uses up valuable energy in a productive activity. We
anvil are trips to water and sewerage treatment plants, power plants, milk producing units, and Delhi Metro to learn how therefore set up YUVA Clubs in all schools including the boy's schools, and started to involve them in various functions
they function and answer basic questions like: where does the power in my school and home come from? The (these YUVA Clubs now oversee the entire YUVA initiative). We roped in the State Culture Department and the Sahitya
Department is tying up with the Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Metro, Power Department, Mother Dairy and others in this regard. Kala Parishad who brought in professional choreographers. In order to attract the boys, interesting dances based on
Visits to places that would interest children particularly those in junior classes will also be added such as to the Jain Bird martial arts were introduced such as Kalaripettu from Kerala. Giving the boys fake swords and shields and martial dance
Hospital, Animal Shelters, and Railway Station to learn how trains work. steps has been a good idea and now boys are equal participants in all cultural functions. We take care to ensure that the
Students of Standard XI also go on Outstation Tours to locations outside Delhi to learn about their country and it's items are as eclectic as possible and that all dance forms and dances from all states and UTs are covered. Now our DGS
rich diversity. Again, the tours are structured in such a way that at least 2 or 3 major points are covered, for example, one students dance to the rhythm of the Mizo bamboo dance and the Assamese Bihu, they sway to the tune of a
of the most popular tours is Amritsar (Golden Temple) - Wagah Border- Dalhousie( or any other hill station). Students and Maharashtrian fishing community dance and a folk dance from Kashmir, they match steps in a Manipuri martial dance
their Teachers have discovered the joys of visiting the mountains in winter as they get to see and feel some thing they had and in one from Kerala, and they jive happily to a modern dance. We have also incorporated semi-classical dances
only heard of and seen on TV and films- snow. Other popular destinations are Agra to see the Taj Mahal, and all places in based on Kathak and Bharat Natyam into the schools' repertoire. Singing, another area which we keenly focus on, also
Rajasthan, particularly the desert. Delhi infact is very fortunately located and some of India's most awe inspiring natural appeared to be an area where girls had grabbed the limelight. So once again we brought the boys back into the picture
and man made wonders are within easy reach, from the lofty peaks and verdant valleys of the proud Himalayas to the and now they also sing along with the girls at all functions. The YUVA Clubs are also meant for Teachers, to encourage
sand dunes of deserts, from silent jungles to swiftly flowing rivers, and from borders with other states to a border with and identify the vast pool of talent that DGS has. This year's School calendar for instance features painting made by our
another country. It was decided to extend this opportunity to Standard XI students alone for a number of reasons - they are gifted drawing and painting Teachers, and students. We have also incorporated other aspects of creativity such as
at an important and crucial stage when they are young enough to be impressionable, and yet mature enough to take theatre and painting into our school schedule. We plan on conducting a mammoth YUVA Talent search during 2009
care of themselves because safety is our upper most concern on these tours. Additionally, by restricting it to one class we starting at the school level and going onto the zonal, district and finally State levels, to identify our most gifted singers,
can ensure that no student goes on an outstation tour more than once, and that ultimately all students in DGS get this dancers and actors, both from amongst the students and the Teachers. Cultural activities have always been a strong point
opportunity. In addition to Teachers, one Parent also accompanies the Tours. For the moment the Department has made
of DGS, but our focus on involving everyone including boys and Teachers, on bringing in professional choreographers,

xviii YUVA YUVA xix

and on embracing all aspects of song and dance from all parts of the country, has paid rich dividends. All these activities To go back to the question: have these classes therefore been of any use if no girl so far has "defended" herself?
have made schools a more joyous place. They are helping students, both those who are good and not so good in studies, The answer to this lies in the way that these very same girls now walk and talk, in fact, in the way they even stand -
to explore new areas and tap hidden talents. I can recall numerous occasions where I and the audience have sat spell with head held high and a definite glint in their eyes. They know that if it should ever be necessary, they have the
bound listening to a beautiful voice, or in rapt attention watching the grace of a near perfect dance. Such talent knows no right mental approach and the skills to defend themselves, and that is what really matters. It is this knowledge
boundaries of wealth or class, and some of our most breath taking performers come from the most difficult backgrounds. which has given them a more positive body image which, we all believe, deters would be romeos and attackers.
Few things can equal the pleasure of seeing children excel, especially if they are from the most disadvantaged sections
of society. We are confident that the YUVA Talent Search will help to ultimately bring cultural activities almost to a level That students as young as 8 or 9 could be agents of change, influencing both their own and their families' actions,
with academics, and as children explore this avenue, perhaps even for future employment, it will help to considerably was perhaps first demonstrated by the Eco Clubs. This is an initiative pioneered by Shrimati Sheila Dikshit and
lessen the stress and tension caused by academics and the pressure of exams. implemented largely by the state Department of Environment in all DGS and most private schools in Delhi. The State
In the middle of 2005, the Home Secretary Shri R. Narayanaswami convened a meeting to discuss the issue of Government provides an annual amount of Rs. 10,000/- per school and this has given a huge boost to the promotion of
security for girls and women in Delhi. During the meeting he threw a challenge to me and to Shrimati Vimla Mehra, the activities pertaining to the environment. Our Eco Club Teachers are amongst our brightest and their enthusiasm and
Additional CP ( Crimes Against Women Cell) : could we start self defence training classes for all girl students from commitment is infectious. Together with students they led a movement against crackers (fireworks) during Diwali, a
standard 4 right till standard 12?. Rather bemusedly, we said yes, and so was born Project Raksha, an initiative under movement that was so successful that it led to a decrease in the air pollution levels. Be it recycling paper, cultivating
which the Delhi Police trained all the female Physical Education Teachers of DGS, NDMC and MCD schools. They in turn mushrooms, harvesting rain water, or holding and participating in painting competitions, our Eco Clubs do it all. The
now train all the 6,00,000 girl students right though from Standard 4 till Standard 12 in all the three school systems. The YUVA SLP seeks to build upon the strengths of the Eco Clubs and attempts a brief curriculum for them, laying down lesson
valedictory function of the Teachers Training which was held at the Talkatora Stadium was a soul stirring, deeply plans for the Teachers to follow. The YUVA SLP helps to ensure a certain level of standardised teaching and activities in all
impressive performance by our Teachers, and the photographs of this can be seen in Module Two of the YUVA SLP. Delhi Governments Schools, bringing all Teachers and students on to a common platform. It also lays down specific
However, towards the end of the year Shri R. Narainswamy reviewed the project and wanted to know: had any of our objectives to be reached, and provides detailed information on a wide range of issues from global warming to the
girl students been able to defend herself? Was the training therefore of any use? extinction of species. All the sessions in the YUVA SLP on the environment were prepared in consultation with the state
Department of Environment, and they are among my personal favourites. When we were preparing the session on Eco
The truth was that none of our girls had 'defended' herself as per the training received. But somewhere along the way
Clubs in Module Two, we were shocked at what all of us were doing to our planet. There was so much to learn and to
we realised that the real benefits of this initiative lay elsewhere. During visits to schools to see the implementation of Project
communicate to our children that we decided on a separate section – called YUVA For All – which would repeat the vital
Raksha, I was astounded to see the way the girls were initially doing the steps. To explain, I should clarify that Project
messages, every year. We hope that the activities will become habits and that over a million students, and through them
Raksha started with 2 major features - throwing out the arms one by one and thrusting them in the air in the front of the body
their families, will start using less water and power, reusing and recycling all waste, make compost at home, and have
quite vigorously and also shouting "HO!" at the top of their voice. However the girls I saw were doing anything but that.
respect for all living things. We hope they will stop using plastic bags and make nice paper or cloth bags for their families
They were very delicately raising their arms as if they were dancing in slow motion, and whispering "HO" in a soft, gentle
to use, that they will plant trees, and water the ‘stressed’ trees on Delhi’s roadsides. In fact, I find that my own habits have
voice. Their whole demeanor was very friendly and very graceful! Something was obviously not going right, so we
changed during the process of preparing and finalizing these sessions and I am a much "Greener" person than I was! It
discussed the issue at length with the Delhi Police, NGOs involved in women's issues and the students themselves. What
takes so little effort to pour out only as must water as I need to drink, and to put food and water out for the birds and
emerged was rather disturbing. It appeared that when a girl is molested or attacked, all too frequently her instinctive
squirrels everyday. In conjunction with sessions on out-of-the-box thinking, we hope students will start reflecting on ways
reaction is not to defend herself by hitting out at her attacker, but rather to defend herself by 'protecting' herself, by
to save their planet, such as by "filtering" carbon fumes through "carbon guzzling" plants and algae, so that they give off
crossing her arms against her breast or above her head and almost curling into the fetal position. It was therefore difficult
oxygen, and reduce global warming. I also cherish the fond hope that at least some of our students will work to save from
for these girls to vigorously throw their arms out. Secondly the girls couldn't shout at the top of their voice because all their
extinction the tiger, the rhino, the gharial, the gangetic dolphin and all the other creatures which are being wiped out
life they had been asked to keep quiet or talk softly 'like a girl'. Therefore, during the training sessions with the Physical
because of our insatiable lust and greed for more and more.
Education Teachers that winter I asked them to ensure that all girls understood what they were expected to do and that they
did it as laid down by the Delhi Police. I am happy to state the there has been a lot of vigorous air punching and shouting Pivotal to a positive school environment that fosters learning is a good school building. Features such as toilets, clean
going on in DGS since then. The Delhi Police have also responded to requests from our Teachers and students and have drinking water, adequate number of classrooms, and child – friendly, comfortable furniture are being provided under
started teaching them on how they can defend themselves while wearing a sari or shalwar kurta, how they can use the other initiatives of the Department, initiatives which have been detailed in the "Quick Report (Updated) 2008" which
dupatta and text-books as 'weapons', how they should react to threats in everyday situations such as an attempted attack can be seen at the Department's website. Under the YUVA SLP we looked at how the building could be a joyful learning
inside their home (use the rolling pin, spoons) or when a car approaches them for a possible abduction. Our Teachers and tool for children and the answer we came up with was BaLA (Building As Learning Aid). Conceptualized by Kabir
girls have raced through all these trainings with unbounded zeal and enthusiasm and the Department and Delhi Police are Vajpeyi and his team at VINYAS, BaLA is a brilliant intervention that almost immediately turns a drab, dull and grey
now trying to work out a curriculum on self - defence for all classes till Standard 12. school building into a bright, colourful and cheerful one. Under BaLA, a school which used to literally "repel" children

xx YUVA YUVA xxi

and on embracing all aspects of song and dance from all parts of the country, has paid rich dividends. All these activities To go back to the question: have these classes therefore been of any use if no girl so far has "defended" herself?
have made schools a more joyous place. They are helping students, both those who are good and not so good in studies, The answer to this lies in the way that these very same girls now walk and talk, in fact, in the way they even stand -
to explore new areas and tap hidden talents. I can recall numerous occasions where I and the audience have sat spell with head held high and a definite glint in their eyes. They know that if it should ever be necessary, they have the
bound listening to a beautiful voice, or in rapt attention watching the grace of a near perfect dance. Such talent knows no right mental approach and the skills to defend themselves, and that is what really matters. It is this knowledge
boundaries of wealth or class, and some of our most breath taking performers come from the most difficult backgrounds. which has given them a more positive body image which, we all believe, deters would be romeos and attackers.
Few things can equal the pleasure of seeing children excel, especially if they are from the most disadvantaged sections
of society. We are confident that the YUVA Talent Search will help to ultimately bring cultural activities almost to a level That students as young as 8 or 9 could be agents of change, influencing both their own and their families' actions,
with academics, and as children explore this avenue, perhaps even for future employment, it will help to considerably was perhaps first demonstrated by the Eco Clubs. This is an initiative pioneered by Shrimati Sheila Dikshit and
lessen the stress and tension caused by academics and the pressure of exams. implemented largely by the state Department of Environment in all DGS and most private schools in Delhi. The State
In the middle of 2005, the Home Secretary Shri R. Narayanaswami convened a meeting to discuss the issue of Government provides an annual amount of Rs. 10,000/- per school and this has given a huge boost to the promotion of
security for girls and women in Delhi. During the meeting he threw a challenge to me and to Shrimati Vimla Mehra, the activities pertaining to the environment. Our Eco Club Teachers are amongst our brightest and their enthusiasm and
Additional CP ( Crimes Against Women Cell) : could we start self defence training classes for all girl students from commitment is infectious. Together with students they led a movement against crackers (fireworks) during Diwali, a
standard 4 right till standard 12?. Rather bemusedly, we said yes, and so was born Project Raksha, an initiative under movement that was so successful that it led to a decrease in the air pollution levels. Be it recycling paper, cultivating
which the Delhi Police trained all the female Physical Education Teachers of DGS, NDMC and MCD schools. They in turn mushrooms, harvesting rain water, or holding and participating in painting competitions, our Eco Clubs do it all. The
now train all the 6,00,000 girl students right though from Standard 4 till Standard 12 in all the three school systems. The YUVA SLP seeks to build upon the strengths of the Eco Clubs and attempts a brief curriculum for them, laying down lesson
valedictory function of the Teachers Training which was held at the Talkatora Stadium was a soul stirring, deeply plans for the Teachers to follow. The YUVA SLP helps to ensure a certain level of standardised teaching and activities in all
impressive performance by our Teachers, and the photographs of this can be seen in Module Two of the YUVA SLP. Delhi Governments Schools, bringing all Teachers and students on to a common platform. It also lays down specific
However, towards the end of the year Shri R. Narainswamy reviewed the project and wanted to know: had any of our objectives to be reached, and provides detailed information on a wide range of issues from global warming to the
girl students been able to defend herself? Was the training therefore of any use? extinction of species. All the sessions in the YUVA SLP on the environment were prepared in consultation with the state
Department of Environment, and they are among my personal favourites. When we were preparing the session on Eco
The truth was that none of our girls had 'defended' herself as per the training received. But somewhere along the way
Clubs in Module Two, we were shocked at what all of us were doing to our planet. There was so much to learn and to
we realised that the real benefits of this initiative lay elsewhere. During visits to schools to see the implementation of Project
communicate to our children that we decided on a separate section – called YUVA For All – which would repeat the vital
Raksha, I was astounded to see the way the girls were initially doing the steps. To explain, I should clarify that Project
messages, every year. We hope that the activities will become habits and that over a million students, and through them
Raksha started with 2 major features - throwing out the arms one by one and thrusting them in the air in the front of the body
their families, will start using less water and power, reusing and recycling all waste, make compost at home, and have
quite vigorously and also shouting "HO!" at the top of their voice. However the girls I saw were doing anything but that.
respect for all living things. We hope they will stop using plastic bags and make nice paper or cloth bags for their families
They were very delicately raising their arms as if they were dancing in slow motion, and whispering "HO" in a soft, gentle
to use, that they will plant trees, and water the ‘stressed’ trees on Delhi’s roadsides. In fact, I find that my own habits have
voice. Their whole demeanor was very friendly and very graceful! Something was obviously not going right, so we
changed during the process of preparing and finalizing these sessions and I am a much "Greener" person than I was! It
discussed the issue at length with the Delhi Police, NGOs involved in women's issues and the students themselves. What
takes so little effort to pour out only as must water as I need to drink, and to put food and water out for the birds and
emerged was rather disturbing. It appeared that when a girl is molested or attacked, all too frequently her instinctive
squirrels everyday. In conjunction with sessions on out-of-the-box thinking, we hope students will start reflecting on ways
reaction is not to defend herself by hitting out at her attacker, but rather to defend herself by 'protecting' herself, by
to save their planet, such as by "filtering" carbon fumes through "carbon guzzling" plants and algae, so that they give off
crossing her arms against her breast or above her head and almost curling into the fetal position. It was therefore difficult
oxygen, and reduce global warming. I also cherish the fond hope that at least some of our students will work to save from
for these girls to vigorously throw their arms out. Secondly the girls couldn't shout at the top of their voice because all their
extinction the tiger, the rhino, the gharial, the gangetic dolphin and all the other creatures which are being wiped out
life they had been asked to keep quiet or talk softly 'like a girl'. Therefore, during the training sessions with the Physical
because of our insatiable lust and greed for more and more.
Education Teachers that winter I asked them to ensure that all girls understood what they were expected to do and that they
did it as laid down by the Delhi Police. I am happy to state the there has been a lot of vigorous air punching and shouting Pivotal to a positive school environment that fosters learning is a good school building. Features such as toilets, clean
going on in DGS since then. The Delhi Police have also responded to requests from our Teachers and students and have drinking water, adequate number of classrooms, and child – friendly, comfortable furniture are being provided under
started teaching them on how they can defend themselves while wearing a sari or shalwar kurta, how they can use the other initiatives of the Department, initiatives which have been detailed in the "Quick Report (Updated) 2008" which
dupatta and text-books as 'weapons', how they should react to threats in everyday situations such as an attempted attack can be seen at the Department's website. Under the YUVA SLP we looked at how the building could be a joyful learning
inside their home (use the rolling pin, spoons) or when a car approaches them for a possible abduction. Our Teachers and tool for children and the answer we came up with was BaLA (Building As Learning Aid). Conceptualized by Kabir
girls have raced through all these trainings with unbounded zeal and enthusiasm and the Department and Delhi Police are Vajpeyi and his team at VINYAS, BaLA is a brilliant intervention that almost immediately turns a drab, dull and grey
now trying to work out a curriculum on self - defence for all classes till Standard 12. school building into a bright, colourful and cheerful one. Under BaLA, a school which used to literally "repel" children

xx YUVA YUVA xxi

earlier now "attracts" them like a magnet, a magical transformation indeed. The Department worked with VINYAS on a activities that are to be carried our regularly with the students for the purpose of developing these qualities in them. The
model BaLA school building in Sawda Ghewra, developing more than 150 designs on the ground, checking their first is elocution – students memorise a famous speech or a passage from a literary work, and deliver it before the class
measurements and dimensions, trialling different kinds of paints and engravings, working out the approximate costing with the appropriate inflexions. Popular choices are 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' by Ram Prasad Bismil, and works by
of each, and most importantly, getting feedback from the students on what they liked and didn't like, and what more they Premchand, Nirala and Jai Shankar Prasad in Hindi. In English the most recited works are Jawaharlal Nehru's 'A Tryst
wanted. The result is a beautiful school building vibrant with colours. I have heard of the phrase "walls that talk" but with Destiny' and Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream'. Elocution introduces children to some of the greatest thoughts of
under BaLA it is not just the walls that talk but the floors, the ceilings, the windows and even the doors that the world's most influential men and women, and any child who is familiar with these will never be alone. Participating in
talk! And all of them say so many different things to children. It was so wonderful to see the elementary school students a debate hones a child's analytical skills and increases their confidence in public speaking. A crucial aspect of debating
on their first day in the school, their eyes were wide in wonder and amazement. They ran from wall to wall trying to solve is listening to what the other person is saying, and respecting their right to an opinion different from your own. There two
all the riddles. They stood against the height chart and checked each other's height. They played on the 'stapu' (hop- qualities are very rare in today's world which is all the more reason for students to learn about these in schools. During a
skotch) on the floor, happily jumping from one multiple of 4 to the next, they ran up and down the stairs trying out the debate students will have to respond to questions raised by the audience. He/she will have to reply cogently, and without
various mathematical quizzes along the way, and tried to estimate the length and width of their classroom on the basis getting angry, defensive, aggressive or rude. They cannot shout during a debate and nor can they interrupt or pass
of the scale painted along the edge of their desks. They even 'invented' a new interpretation of a game on the floor, with personal remarks. Extempore speaking may be a bit difficult for students in the beginning as they have to speak
half a dozen of them excitedly explaining the rules to the Chief Minister and the Minister Education. They were all immediately after receiving the topic. It is likely that many will be speechless at first but the Teacher can use simple topics
speaking at the same time and the words came tumbling out so fast that none of us could understand what they were like "Pretend you are a commentator at a cricket match between India and Australia. Shane Warne is bowling to Sachin
saying about the game. And yet, we did understand. We understood that they were thrilled to pieces, and at the end of Tendulkar. Speak for one minute on: what happens?" This will not only arouse interest but the Teacher will probably have
the day that was all that really mattered. The beauty of BaLA is that all its interventions are jointly designed by the
all the students vying to participate. As students get used to extempore speaking the Teacher can move to more complex
Teachers and students, and yet it really doesn't need any teaching at all. Instead, the children learn by themselves, and
topics which will challenge a child's imagination and provoke them to use a wider vocabulary.
from each other. BaLA whets their curiosity and provokes them into finding the answers to all the "whys" around them.
A similar game has been included in the YUVA SLP to encourage children to read, by telling a story. Here, the first
Thus, no explanation is given for painting a Newton's disc (all the 7 colours of the rainbow) onto the central portion of a
student says the first few lines of any story. It can be as outlandish and imaginative as possible, the only rule is that it must
ceiling fan. When it rotates, this part turns white. Children grow up seeing this almost daily. When the time comes for
be original. The first student stops in the middle of a sentence and the next student continues the story, and so on. The
them to study about how white light is comprised of 7 colours, the learning is seamless and effortless because 'they
development of the library and the sheer love of reading are some of the most important aims of the YUVA SLP. During
already knew that'.
the launch of Kitabi Magic, we learnt from the students that they wanted all the famous books and comics that they saw in
Since many of our school buildings really were dull and drab, we realized that BaLA interventions would need to include shops, and that they wanted them in both English and Hindi. The Harry Potter books topped their list, perhaps because
a provision for painting the walls and doors, as also railing, grills etc. We took a very conscious decision to leave the choice these are quite expensive and very few students could afford to buy them. The Kitabi Magic initiative helped us to put
of colours and the selection of the interventions to the Principals through the Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS). This has led to together a list of books and to design a good library. We learnt for example that instead of having a separate Primary
the most amazing burst of creativity from most of our Principals and almost all our Schools have their own,
section it was better to arrange all these books on all the lower sheleves, with comfortable low seating on carpets, stools
distinctive look, thanks to BaLA. It could be argued that some of the classrooms or buildings are so intricately or brightly
and cushions, in front of the shelves, in addition to the table and chairs. YUVA SLP also promotes Classroom Libraries
painted that they "over stimulate" the child e.g. shades of purple, violet, lilac and lavender, and that there is no uniformity in
where every student gets a book and a comic which they take home to read and share with the family. This is brought to
our schools. But the gains from leaving the choice to the schools has been so enormous that they far outweigh other class once a week, and exchanged with another book or comic. The YUVA SLP also encourages Teachers' Circulating
concerns. The Principals excitedly show you around their school, proudly pointing to various BaLA interventions they have Library comprising of books contributed by the Teachers themselves, and a host of activities such as story writing and
selected with the children. The students are happy, and the community very satisfied. BaLA broadly falls into two types - poem writing which shall be included in the YUVA Talent Search. Other games and activities that can be played to
those which can be done by the school, and those which have to be incorporated at the design stage. For the former, the promote language skills are Scrabble, Just a Minute, and Dumb Charades.
Department provides an amount of Rs. 2,00,000 per building every year, and for the latter, we are sensitizing the agencies
involved in the civil works. BaLA has already been incorporated into "Roopanter", a Public Private Partnership between the
Department, DSIIDC and ILFS to renovate and refurbish one-third of all DGS buildings.
Module Three – YUVA For All
When we were going through all the sessions, we felt that there were a few which were much too important to be covered
BaLA has led to a transformation in buildings which is amazing, making the school environment a happy, joyful one.
in just one class. These were sessions where the activities, when done repeatedly, would hopefully turn into habits and
Our choice in terms of its methodology, namely, giving the task to the Principal, students, Teachers and Parents through
this is how Module Three, YUVA FOR ALL came about. All the 13 sessions in this Module are to be conducted every year
the VKS, has been hugely empowering.
for all classes. The first three sessions continue the themes of being positive, making the right choices, and the importance
The ability to speak fluently in a language, to have good communication skills, and to be able to draw upon a rich
of values and principles from Module One, but here they are in the shape of classroom activities for children. During field
vocabulary of words, are all assets everyone would be proved to possess. The YUVA SLP has introduced a number of

xxii YUVA YUVA xxiii

earlier now "attracts" them like a magnet, a magical transformation indeed. The Department worked with VINYAS on a activities that are to be carried out regularly with the students for the purpose of developing these qualities in them. The
model BaLA school building in Sawda Ghewra, developing more than 150 designs on the ground, checking their first is elocution – students memorise a famous speech or a passage from a literary work, and deliver it before the class
measurements and dimensions, trialling different kinds of paints and engravings, working out the approximate costing with the appropriate inflexions. Popular choices are 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' by Ram Prasad Bismil, and works by
of each, and most importantly, getting feedback from the students on what they liked and didn't like, and what more they Premchand, Nirala and Jai Shankar Prasad in Hindi. In English the most recited works are Jawaharlal Nehru's 'A Tryst
wanted. The result is a beautiful school building vibrant with colours. I have heard of the phrase "walls that talk" but with Destiny' and Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream'. Elocution introduces children to some of the greatest thoughts of
under BaLA it is not just the walls that talk but the floors, the ceilings, the windows and even the doors that the world's most influential men and women, and any child who is familiar with these will never be alone. Participating in
talk! And all of them say so many different things to children. It was so wonderful to see the elementary school students a debate hones a child's analytical skills and increases their confidence in public speaking. A crucial aspect of debating
on their first day in the school, their eyes were wide in wonder and amazement. They ran from wall to wall trying to solve is listening to what the other person is saying, and respecting their right to an opinion different from your own. There two
all the riddles. They stood against the height chart and checked each other's height. They played on the 'stapu' (hop- qualities are very rare in today's world which is all the more reason for students to learn about these in schools. During a
skotch) on the floor, happily jumping from one multiple of 4 to the next, they ran up and down the stairs trying out the debate students will have to respond to questions raised by the audience. He/she will have to reply cogently, and without
various mathematical quizzes along the way, and tried to estimate the length and width of their classroom on the basis getting angry, defensive, aggressive or rude. They cannot shout during a debate and nor can they interrupt or pass
of the scale painted along the edge of their desks. They even 'invented' a new interpretation of a game on the floor, with personal remarks. Extempore speaking may be a bit difficult for students in the beginning as they have to speak
half a dozen of them excitedly explaining the rules to the Chief Minister and the Minister Education. They were all immediately after receiving the topic. It is likely that many will be speechless at first but the Teacher can use simple topics
speaking at the same time and the words came tumbling out so fast that none of us could understand what they were like "Pretend you are a commentator at a cricket match between India and Australia. Shane Warne is bowling to Sachin
saying about the game. And yet, we did understand. We understood that they were thrilled to pieces, and at the end of Tendulkar. Speak for one minute on: what happens?" This will not only arouse interest but the Teacher will probably have
the day that was all that really mattered. The beauty of BaLA is that all its interventions are jointly designed by the
all the students vying to participate. As students get used to extempore speaking the Teacher can move to more complex
Teachers and students, and yet it really doesn't need any teaching at all. Instead, the children learn by themselves, and
topics which will challenge a child's imagination and provoke them to use a wider vocabulary.
from each other. BaLA whets their curiosity and provokes them into finding the answers to all the "whys" around them.
A similar game has been included in the YUVA SLP to encourage children to read, by telling a story. Here, the first
Thus, no explanation is given for painting a Newton's disc (all the 7 colours of the rainbow) onto the central portion of a
student says the first few lines of any story. It can be as outlandish and imaginative as possible, the only rule is that it must
ceiling fan. When it rotates, this part turns white. Children grow up seeing this almost daily. When the time comes for
be original. The first student stops in the middle of a sentence and the next student continues the story, and so on. The
them to study about how white light is comprised of 7 colours, the learning is seamless and effortless because 'they
development of the library and the sheer love of reading are some of the most important aims of the YUVA SLP. During
already knew that'.
the launch of Kitabi Magic, we learnt from the students that they wanted all the famous books and comics that they saw in
Since many of our school buildings really were dull and drab, we realized that BaLA interventions would need to include shops, and that they wanted them in both English and Hindi. The Harry Potter books topped their list, perhaps because
a provision for painting the walls and doors, as also railing, grills etc. We took a very conscious decision to leave the choice these are quite expensive and very few students could afford to buy them. The Kitabi Magic initiative helped us to put
of colours and the selection of the interventions to the Principals through the Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS). This has led to together a list of books and to design a good library. We learnt for example that instead of having a separate Primary
the most amazing burst of creativity from most of our Principals and almost all our Schools have their own,
section it was better to arrange all these books on all the lower sheleves, with comfortable low seating on carpets, stools
distinctive look, thanks to BaLA. It could be argued that some of the classrooms or buildings are so intricately or brightly
and cushions, in front of the shelves, in addition to the table and chairs. YUVA SLP also promotes Classroom Libraries
painted that they "over stimulate" the child e.g. shades of purple, violet, lilac and lavender, and that there is no uniformity in
where every student gets a book and a comic which they take home to read and share with the family. This is brought to
our schools. But the gains from leaving the choice to the schools has been so enormous that they far outweigh other class once a week, and exchanged with another book or comic. The YUVA SLP also encourages Teachers' Circulating
concerns. The Principals excitedly show you around their school, proudly pointing to various BaLA interventions they have Library comprising of books contributed by the Teachers themselves, and a host of activities such as story writing and
selected with the children. The students are happy, and the community very satisfied. BaLA broadly falls into two types - poem writing which shall be included in the YUVA Talent Search. Other games and activities that can be played to
those which can be done by the school, and those which have to be incorporated at the design stage. For the former, the promote language skills are Scrabble, Just a Minute, and Dumb Charades.
Department provides an amount of Rs. 2,00,000 per building every year, and for the latter, we are sensitizing the agencies
involved in the civil works. BaLA has already been incorporated into "Roopanter", a Public Private Partnership between the
Department, DSIIDC and ILFS to renovate and refurbish one-third of all DGS buildings.
Module Three – YUVA For All
When we were going through all the sessions, we felt that there were a few which were much too important to be covered
BaLA has led to a transformation in buildings which is amazing, making the school environment a happy, joyful one.
in just one class. These were sessions where the activities, when done repeatedly, would hopefully turn into habits and
Our choice in terms of its methodology, namely, giving the task to the Principal, students, Teachers and Parents through
this is how Module Three, YUVA FOR ALL came about. All the 13 sessions in this Module are to be conducted every year
the VKS, has been hugely empowering.
for all classes. The first three sessions continue the themes of being positive, making the right choices, and the importance
The ability to speak fluently in a language, to have good communication skills, and to be able to draw upon a rich
of values and principles from Module One, but here they are in the shape of classroom activities for children. During field
vocabulary of words, are all assets everyone would be proved to possess. The YUVA SLP has introduced a number of

xxii YUVA YUVA xxiii

trials it was quite clear that students did not want to be lectured and therefore YUVA is all about role-plays, mimes, One of the most popular sessions during the field trails was one where students appreciate each other by writing
discussions, quizzes, and other interesting activities. But we have also employed a novel approach in our treatment of positive things on a piece of paper which is then given to the students concerned. Amongst others, Mother Teresa has also
these issues by depicting children as the beneficiaries of the actions of i) a positive person, ii) of a person who made the pointed our that the biggest hunger of all is the hunger for appreciation and we in YUVA clearly saw this everywhere. This
right choices, and iii) of a person who has values and principles, so that they can better understand these. activity is meant to be conducted at least once every year but more importantly it links to other activities like Jadoo Ki
We have therefore used a role play where students of DGS collect money for flood relief in Bihar. Being from Jhappi and over time, we have noticed that giving appreciation becomes a habit. Everyone has some positive points and
disadvantaged backgrounds themselves, there is a lot of loose change and rupees in small denominations. Two students, this session provokes us into searching for these. Significantly, it helps the student to create a "bank deposit of
members of the Bal Bhagidari, go to a bank to convert this. On their return to school they realize that the wallet with all the positive feelings" about themselves which is invaluable in times of uncertainties or depression.
money in it is missing! They are devastated! How will they send money for the flood victims now? But the question While laughter therapy, sports and most activities promoting joyful learning stimulate students, it is
uppermost in their tender minds is: will everyone think they stole the money? Will anyone believe that they lost it? They frequently necessary to give them the skills on how to become calm, and remain tranquil, particularly when

are distressed and quite traumatized. At that time, the driver of the autorickshaw they had travelled in comes to the they are over excited over some issue, or stressed about exams. We noticed for instance that our students were

school. He has come to return the wallet the boys had left behind in his auto. Although a very poor man himself the driver losing valuable marks in exams because they were making too many careless mistakes which in turn was largely due to
the fact that they were anxious and agitated. YUVA For All therefore has a session where children are taught a very easy
was honest. He could understand what the boys would be going through and he had come to return the wallet. The
boys, and through them the class, come to truly understand the meaning of honesty and integrity, of what it way to meditate, and become calm. This activity can be done anywhere and students are encouraged to do it at home
means when a person has values and principles and the impact that such a person has on the lives of others, also. Importantly, it helps them to understand that a calm mind thinks better than an agitated one, and this learning is
including perfect strangers! At the same time they are learning valuable lessons on compassion and invaluable in future sessions on how to handle emergencies where presence of mind and clear thinking can make the
empathy (helping others in need) and how even the smallest person can make a difference. difference between life and death.
Similarly the session on making the right choices has students enacting two role plays - one group portrays 'negative' In fact the very next session is about handling a bomb threat and all crisis situations. The fact is that we can never
Teachers of the kind in the film Taare Zameen Par, and indeed, like Shikha in the first session of Module One. The second anticipate all the emergencies that will suddenly arise. In the last few years schools have had to contend with many
group depicts 'positive' Teachers like Ram Shankar Nikhumb in the same film, and Sunaina and the reformed Mohan threatening situations such as bomb threat hoax calls, necessitating evacuation of the school. In a few very tragic recent
from Module One. The students are then asked: which Teacher do you prefer? The answer is always the second Teacher, cases many children lost their lives in fires, and disaster management has become a prime concern, particularly for Delhi
but then the students are encouraged to explore what it is that makes two otherwise similar people so different? Both are which is in a sensitive seismic zone prone to earthquakes. Schools need to handle health emergencies, natural and
Teachers in the same school, both teach the same students and have the same facilities and resources. What makes one man made disasters, and now possible terror threats. None of us can anticipate what will happen tomorrow.
Teacher indulge in corporal punishment while another doesn't? The students are led towards appreciating the power of During the Batla House encounter in 2008, thousands of students of 6 DGS in the area were either giving exams, or were
choice – the Teachers here "chose" their behavior, their actions and indeed their entire approach to Teaching. The on the narrow roads going home at the end of the morning shift school, or walking to school to attend the afternoon shift
second group of Teachers "chose" to be positive, kind, caring and nurturing, and it is the students who benefit when school when the firing started. In another instance, one of our Standard XII students Nagendra Singh was at the site of the
Teachers make the right choices. So just as the students would like everyone in their lives to make the right Sarojini Nagar bomb blasts in October 2005 and this brave young lad helped to save the lives of many people for which
choices, the students too should always make the right choices - to be positive, uphold the highest values and he was felicitated by the Police. When we asked him how he was able to accomplish this he explained that it was due to
principles, do their best always, and be kind and compassionate towards others. Students are also learning the training he had received in his school. Since children are vulnerable everywhere – at home, in the market
valuable lessons that it is not necessary to take recourse to harsh words, anger or violence, and that a place, in school or even on the roads – it is best that they have some skills on what they should do. The YUVA
positive, constructive approach works well and delivers better results. SLP therefore has sessions in Modules Three and Four which focus on "being prepared to handle all
While conducting field trails with students we were disturbed when quite a few of them candidly stated that the most emergencies". They cover issues of evacuating a school, how to be alert, and encourage students to memorise some
common way to succeed in India, the only way to become wealthy, was by following unfair means. It is very sad when crucial telephone numbers such as that of the nearest hospital. They include role plays where children enact an
this is the message some of our children are getting. From our interactions with students it became clear that we would emergency and other students are encouraged to suggest what the correct response should be. Issues of first aid and the
need to provide them specific role models. Fortunately for us, we chanced upon an article by Vir Sanghvi where he wrote contents of a first aid box, handling bleeding, and how to tie bandages are also covered. The Department is tying up with
about the honesty of the Tata Group and it's Chairman Ratan Tata. We have included this article as well as items on E. the Police, Home Guards, Fire Department and Red Cross to help in imparting these sessions to Teachers and to students.
Sreedharan, Narayan Murthy and Nandan Nilekani. All of them are hugely successful. Significantly, they openly speak An insightful article from TIME Magazine on the value of carrying out mock drills and always being prepared, has been
about how they follow ethical practices and their employees and people who know them vouch for this. The inclusion of incorporated in YUVA For All. Learning from that we have started drills in all schools and we realised that there were
these role models has had an enormous impact on students and they actively participate in the discussions, suggesting many problems which had to be resolved, for example, unconfirmed reports suggest that the death rate in the fire in a
other similar role models like APJ Abdul Kalam. Although YUVA has featured only a few, there are of course many other school in Kumbakonam was largely due to the fact that the Teachers panicked, and asked the younger children to remain
such eminent people in India. where they were, in the class. The issue we faced was that in a school with 4,000 students, how would the primary

xxiv YUVA YUVA xxv

trials it was quite clear that students did not want to be lectured and therefore YUVA is all about role-plays, mimes, One of the most popular sessions during the field trails was one where students appreciate each other by writing
discussions, quizzes, and other interesting activities. But we have also employed a novel approach in our treatment of positive things on a piece of paper which is then given to the students concerned. Amongst others, Mother Teresa has also
these issues by depicting children as the beneficiaries of the actions of i) a positive person, ii) of a person who made the pointed our that the biggest hunger of all is the hunger for appreciation and we in YUVA clearly saw this everywhere. This
right choices, and iii) of a person who has values and principles, so that they can better understand these. activity is meant to be conducted at least once every year but more importantly it links to other activities like Jadoo Ki
We have therefore used a role play where students of DGS collect money for flood relief in Bihar. Being from Jhappi and over time, we have noticed that giving appreciation becomes a habit. Everyone has some positive points and
disadvantaged backgrounds themselves, there is a lot of loose change and rupees in small denominations. Two students, this session provokes us into searching for these. Significantly, it helps the student to create a "bank deposit of
members of the Bal Bhagidari, go to a bank to convert this. On their return to school they realize that the wallet with all the positive feelings" about themselves which is invaluable in times of uncertainties or depression.
money in it is missing! They are devastated! How will they send money for the flood victims now? But the question While laughter therapy, sports and most activities promoting joyful learning stimulate students, it is
uppermost in their tender minds is: will everyone think they stole the money? Will anyone believe that they lost it? They frequently necessary to give them the skills on how to become calm, and remain tranquil, particularly when

are distressed and quite traumatized. At that time, the driver of the autorickshaw they had travelled in comes to the they are over excited over some issue, or stressed about exams. We noticed for instance that our students were

school. He has come to return the wallet the boys had left behind in his auto. Although a very poor man himself the driver losing valuable marks in exams because they were making too many careless mistakes which in turn was largely due to
the fact that they were anxious and agitated. YUVA For All therefore has a session where children are taught a very easy
was honest. He could understand what the boys would be going through and he had come to return the wallet. The
boys, and through them the class, come to truly understand the meaning of honesty and integrity, of what it way to meditate, and become calm. This activity can be done anywhere and students are encouraged to do it at home
means when a person has values and principles and the impact that such a person has on the lives of others, also. Importantly, it helps them to understand that a calm mind thinks better than an agitated one, and this learning is
including perfect strangers! At the same time they are learning valuable lessons on compassion and invaluable in future sessions on how to handle emergencies where presence of mind and clear thinking can make the
empathy (helping others in need) and how even the smallest person can make a difference. difference between life and death.
Similarly the session on making the right choices has students enacting two role plays - one group portrays 'negative' In fact the very next session is about handling a bomb threat and all crisis situations. The fact is that we can never
Teachers of the kind in the film Taare Zameen Par, and indeed, like Shikha in the first session of Module One. The second anticipate all the emergencies that will suddenly arise. In the last few years schools have had to contend with many
group depicts 'positive' Teachers like Ram Shankar Nikhumb in the same film, and Sunaina and the reformed Mohan threatening situations such as bomb threat hoax calls, necessitating evacuation of the school. In a few very tragic recent
from Module One. The students are then asked: which Teacher do you prefer? The answer is always the second Teacher, cases many children lost their lives in fires, and disaster management has become a prime concern, particularly for Delhi
but then the students are encouraged to explore what it is that makes two otherwise similar people so different? Both are which is in a sensitive seismic zone prone to earthquakes. Schools need to handle health emergencies, natural and
Teachers in the same school, both teach the same students and have the same facilities and resources. What makes one man made disasters, and now possible terror threats. None of us can anticipate what will happen tomorrow.
Teacher indulge in corporal punishment while another doesn't? The students are led towards appreciating the power of During the Batla House encounter in 2008, thousands of students of 6 DGS in the area were either giving exams, or were
choice – the Teachers here "chose" their behavior, their actions and indeed their entire approach to Teaching. The on the narrow roads going home at the end of the morning shift school, or walking to school to attend the afternoon shift
second group of Teachers "chose" to be positive, kind, caring and nurturing, and it is the students who benefit when school when the firing started. In another instance, one of our Standard XII students Nagendra Singh was at the site of the
Teachers make the right choices. So just as the students would like everyone in their lives to make the right Sarojini Nagar bomb blasts in October 2005 and this brave young lad helped to save the lives of many people for which
choices, the students too should always make the right choices - to be positive, uphold the highest values and he was felicitated by the Police. When we asked him how he was able to accomplish this he explained that it was due to
principles, do their best always, and be kind and compassionate towards others. Students are also learning the training he had received in his school. Since children are vulnerable everywhere – at home, in the market
valuable lessons that it is not necessary to take recourse to harsh words, anger or violence, and that a place, in school or even on the roads – it is best that they have some skills on what they should do. The YUVA
positive, constructive approach works well and delivers better results. SLP therefore has sessions in Modules Three and Four which focus on "being prepared to handle all
While conducting field trails with students we were disturbed when quite a few of them candidly stated that the most emergencies". They cover issues of evacuating a school, how to be alert, and encourage students to memorise some
common way to succeed in India, the only way to become wealthy, was by following unfair means. It is very sad when crucial telephone numbers such as that of the nearest hospital. They include role plays where children enact an
this is the message some of our children are getting. From our interactions with students it became clear that we would emergency and other students are encouraged to suggest what the correct response should be. Issues of first aid and the
need to provide them specific role models. Fortunately for us, we chanced upon an article by Vir Sanghvi where he wrote contents of a first aid box, handling bleeding, and how to tie bandages are also covered. The Department is tying up with
about the honesty of the Tata Group and it's Chairman Ratan Tata. We have included this article as well as items on E. the Police, Home Guards, Fire Department and Red Cross to help in imparting these sessions to Teachers and to students.
Sreedharan, Narayan Murthy and Nandan Nilekani. All of them are hugely successful. Significantly, they openly speak An insightful article from TIME Magazine on the value of carrying out mock drills and always being prepared, has been
about how they follow ethical practices and their employees and people who know them vouch for this. The inclusion of incorporated in YUVA For All. Learning from that we have started drills in all schools and we realised that there were
these role models has had an enormous impact on students and they actively participate in the discussions, suggesting many problems which had to be resolved, for example, unconfirmed reports suggest that the death rate in the fire in a
other similar role models like APJ Abdul Kalam. Although YUVA has featured only a few, there are of course many other school in Kumbakonam was largely due to the fact that the Teachers panicked, and asked the younger children to remain
such eminent people in India. where they were, in the class. The issue we faced was that in a school with 4,000 students, how would the primary

xxiv YUVA YUVA xxv

section Teachers evacuate a class of frightened five year olds? The solution we come up with was both novel and very sessions in Module Three which should be read with the session on Eco Clubs in Module Two, and these are also linked to
workable – during the evacuation drill, instead of leaving the school building directly, the students of Standard XII will go eight other sessions in Module Four which can be perused by checking the contents under Domain V – Cleanliness and
straight to the Standard I class and help the children. The students of Standard XI will help those in Standard II, and so on, Environment. Those in Module Three are about simple CAN DO activities which everyone can follow to make an impact.
so that all the primary section children are covered. This would of course be in addition to the immediate steps that the Thus the session on water conservation focuses on collection of rain water, using less water by using small glass fuls for
primary section Teachers will need to take, but in our experience getting such small children out of the building is just the brushing teeth and even how to put a brick in toilet cisterns so that less water is used while flushing without affecting the
first step. They need to be constantly reassured, their Parents contacted, and the children safely handed over to the right efficiency of the flush. Combined with sessions on out-of-the-box thinking our students have suggested amongst others,
Parents. Carrying out regular drills will help the children of both classes bond with each other so that in case of an actual that the manufacture of bath tubs be banned. They also appear to be considering ways to desalinate sea water so that it
emergency the young children are not frightened at the sight of so many older students suddenly appearing at a time can be made potable. The CAN DO activities to reduce pollution and conserve power are suggested. In the session on
when they are already scared. In due course, we propose with our partner agencies to introduce the specific responses to waste, students are encouraged to reduce their house hold waste to zero by following a few simple steps –
specific situations e.g. earthquake, road accident, terror threat, fires, medical emergency. We also hope to be able to (i) segregate garbage, (ii) convert the biodegradable garbage to compost (at home in a house or a flat), ( iii) give
involve Parents in an annual drill so they also learn about their own appropriate responses – how to contact their child, useful things you don’t need such as books, newspapers, utensils and clothes to an NGO or any organization which can
why they should not panic – in addition to familiarizing themselves with how the school will respond towards their child. use them for the underprivileged, to make bags etc. and (iv) give away the rest such as bottles and cardboard boxes to
At the end of the day all we can do is to be as prepared as possible and that is what the YUVA SLP aims to do. the local 'kabariwala'. That would leave hazardous waste such as old medicines, left over paint, and e-waste. We
As mentioned earlier, the session on mediation teaches children on how to be calm in the face of a stressful situation, and
weren't quite sure what we could suggest should be done with these but a meeting with the Department of Environment
helps them to maintain presence of mind during emergencies also.
soon found a solution. What we are now going to do is: (v) put large boxes (red coloured) in every school and every child
In the face of the alarming number of avoidable accidents and deaths on the road, it was considered advisable to can bring the hazardous waste from home, and put it into the red box (older children can help out the younger ones). The
have a session on road safety. Students consider a true life incident where a young boy loses his father due to a Environment Department will have the contents picked up and safely disposed of. It should be possible through these five
speeding car, and they enact role plays where some pretend to be cars and buses busily driving bumper to bumper, while steps for all students to reduce the waste at home to zero. Children will actually carry out most of these activities in school
others pretend to be pedestrians. The former are typical urban traffic, determined not to slow down, while the latter have so it will be easy for them to repeat it at home. We hope that by doing these every year they will soon become habits and
to cross the road. What should the correct responses be? What can the drivers of cars and buses learn from this? Students students will soon, unconsciously and perhaps without realizing it, carry out these activities throughout adult life.
also enact the roles of drivers with seat belts and motorists with helmets, and also those who are not using these safety
devices. Both groups have a head on collision. What happens, who survives and why is what the students will need to
introspect about, as they learn all about the steps necessary to ensure safety on the roads for everyone. Module Four – Classroom sessions
Delhi is going to be the proud host of the next Commonwealth Games in 2010 and we saw in it an There are sessions to be conducted with students in Standards VI to XII with an average of 12 sessions every year. These
opportunity to reinforce politeness and courtesy, to remind our students to say Please Thank you and Sorry have been grouped into basic thematic areas which we call Domains. The first Domain is all about making existing
(PTS) and most critically to improve their conversation skills in English. During Bhagidari workshops with Parents classroom learning Joyful and is contained in Module Two.
and students the number one item on their list of wanted things in Delhi Government Schools was education in the English
The second Domain is on Applied Life Skills and Life Skills Stories and as the name suggests, attempts to both
medium and fluency in speaking English. The Department has entered into an agreement with the British Council under
introduce Life Skills to students and reinforce how all of use can learn from simple, much loved stories. The difference
which they are professionally developing the skills of our English Language Teachers and the results of the initiative so far
between these stories under YUVA and in a textbook is in the purpose and approach – under YUVA we have tried to bring
are very impressive. The session in Module Three has role plays for students on what they may encounter during the
out the very essence, the feelings and learnings behind the stories. Thus the race between the hare and the tortoise is a
Games such as welcoming foreign guests to Delhi, assisting them in how to reach various places, and it also encourages
story about perseverance and determination to achieve a goal, rather than a text about language and comprehension.
them to speak in English. The session also introduces them to all the member countries of the Commonwealth and all DGS
Similarly, the story of the mouse and the lion is about how even the smallest, supposedly most insignificant persons can
students will be preparing projects on, and learning more about these member states and countries.
make a hugely positive difference. It is also about the strength that comes when people unitedly work together towards a
There is also a session on rights of the child for our students in Module Three which should be read with the one for
common goal. Plus Minus Interesting (PMI) games which encourage students to think out-of–the–box, are also included
Teachers and Parents in Module One. The session aims to sensitise students towards the rights of all children and we hope
here and these are crucial in not only provoking children to think laterally but also encourages them to never lose their
that not only will the students be able to assert their own rights but also that of other children presently being denied even
childish curiosity, their never ending questions on 'why not'? as well as their spontaneity, for it is such thinking that has
the most basic rights such as child labourers. We hope our students will help to wipe out any child domestic labour in their
own homes at least, to start with. been behind all inventions and most solutions to vexing problems. Popular sessions challenge students to consider what
they would do if they were the Chief Minister of Delhi or even the Prime Minister of India.
One of the most important areas of YUVA is all issues pertaining to the environment from global warming
and other climate changes to extinction of species and conservation of vital natural resources. There are four The third Domain is on issues regarding Academics and Exams and incorporates a host of activities and

xxvi YUVA YUVA xxvii

section Teachers evacuate a class of frightened five year olds? The solution we come up with was both novel and very sessions in Module Three which should be read with the session on Eco Clubs in Module Two, and these are also linked to
workable – during the evacuation drill, instead of leaving the school building directly, the students of Standard XII will go eight other sessions in Module Four which can be perused by checking the contents under Domain V – Cleanliness and
straight to the Standard I class and help the children. The students of Standard XI will help those in Standard II, and so on, Environment. Those in Module Three are about simple CAN DO activities which everyone can follow to make an impact.
so that all the primary section children are covered. This would of course be in addition to the immediate steps that the Thus the session on water conservation focuses on collection of rain water, using less water by using small glass fuls for
primary section Teachers will need to take, but in our experience getting such small children out of the building is just the brushing teeth and even how to put a brick in toilet cisterns so that less water is used while flushing without affecting the
first step. They need to be constantly reassured, their Parents contacted, and the children safely handed over to the right efficiency of the flush. Combined with sessions on out-of-the-box thinking our students have suggested amongst others,
Parents. Carrying out regular drills will help the children of both classes bond with each other so that in case of an actual that the manufacture of bath tubs be banned. They also appear to be considering ways to desalinate sea water so that it
emergency the young children are not frightened at the sight of so many older students suddenly appearing at a time can be made potable. The CAN DO activities to reduce pollution and conserve power are suggested. In the session on
when they are already scared. In due course, we propose with our partner agencies to introduce the specific responses to waste, students are encouraged to reduce their house hold waste to zero by following a few simple steps –
specific situations e.g. earthquake, road accident, terror threat, fires, medical emergency. We also hope to be able to (i) segregate garbage, (ii) convert the biodegradable garbage to compost (at home in a house or a flat), ( iii) give
involve Parents in an annual drill so they also learn about their own appropriate responses – how to contact their child, useful things you don’t need such as books, newspapers, utensils and clothes to an NGO or any organization which can
why they should not panic – in addition to familiarizing themselves with how the school will respond towards their child. use them for the underprivileged, to make bags etc. and (iv) give away the rest such as bottles and cardboard boxes to
At the end of the day all we can do is to be as prepared as possible and that is what the YUVA SLP aims to do. the local 'kabariwala'. That would leave hazardous waste such as old medicines, left over paint, and e-waste. We
As mentioned earlier, the session on mediation teaches children on how to be calm in the face of a stressful situation, and
weren't quite sure what we could suggest should be done with these but a meeting with the Department of Environment
helps them to maintain presence of mind during emergencies also.
soon found a solution. What we are now going to do is: (v) put large boxes (red coloured) in every school and every child
In the face of the alarming number of avoidable accidents and deaths on the road, it was considered advisable to can bring the hazardous waste from home, and put it into the red box (older children can help out the younger ones). The
have a session on road safety. Students consider a true life incident where a young boy loses his father due to a Environment Department will have the contents picked up and safely disposed of. It should be possible through these five
speeding car, and they enact role plays where some pretend to be cars and buses busily driving bumper to bumper, while steps for all students to reduce the waste at home to zero. Children will actually carry out most of these activities in school
others pretend to be pedestrians. The former are typical urban traffic, determined not to slow down, while the latter have so it will be easy for them to repeat it at home. We hope that by doing these every year they will soon become habits and
to cross the road. What should the correct responses be? What can the drivers of cars and buses learn from this? Students students will soon, unconsciously and perhaps without realizing it, carry out these activities throughout adult life.
also enact the roles of drivers with seat belts and motorists with helmets, and also those who are not using these safety
devices. Both groups have a head on collision. What happens, who survives and why is what the students will need to
introspect about, as they learn all about the steps necessary to ensure safety on the roads for everyone. Module Four – Classroom sessions
Delhi is going to be the proud host of the next Commonwealth Games in 2010 and we saw in it an There are sessions to be conducted with students in Standards VI to XII with an average of 12 sessions every year. These
opportunity to reinforce politeness and courtesy, to remind our students to say Please Thank you and Sorry have been grouped into basic thematic areas which we call Domains. The first Domain is all about making existing
(PTS) and most critically to improve their conversation skills in English. During Bhagidari workshops with Parents classroom learning Joyful and is contained in Module Two.
and students the number one item on their list of wanted things in Delhi Government Schools was education in the English
The second Domain is on Applied Life Skills and Life Skills Stories and as the name suggests, attempts to both
medium and fluency in speaking English. The Department has entered into an agreement with the British Council under
introduce Life Skills to students and reinforce how all of use can learn from simple, much loved stories. The difference
which they are professionally developing the skills of our English Language Teachers and the results of the initiative so far
between these stories under YUVA and in a textbook is in the purpose and approach – under YUVA we have tried to bring
are very impressive. The session in Module Three has role plays for students on what they may encounter during the
out the very essence, the feelings and learnings behind the stories. Thus the race between the hare and the tortoise is a
Games such as welcoming foreign guests to Delhi, assisting them in how to reach various places, and it also encourages
story about perseverance and determination to achieve a goal, rather than a text about language and comprehension.
them to speak in English. The session also introduces them to all the member countries of the Commonwealth and all DGS
Similarly, the story of the mouse and the lion is about how even the smallest, supposedly most insignificant persons can
students will be preparing projects on, and learning more about these member states and countries.
make a hugely positive difference. It is also about the strength that comes when people unitedly work together towards a
There is also a session on rights of the child for our students in Module Three which should be read with the one for
common goal. Plus Minus Interesting (PMI) games which encourage students to think out-of–the–box, are also included
Teachers and Parents in Module One. The session aims to sensitise students towards the rights of all children and we hope
here and these are crucial in not only provoking children to think laterally but also encourages them to never lose their
that not only will the students be able to assert their own rights but also that of other children presently being denied even
childish curiosity, their never ending questions on 'why not'? as well as their spontaneity, for it is such thinking that has
the most basic rights such as child labourers. We hope our students will help to wipe out any child domestic labour in their
own homes at least, to start with. been behind all inventions and most solutions to vexing problems. Popular sessions challenge students to consider what
they would do if they were the Chief Minister of Delhi or even the Prime Minister of India.
One of the most important areas of YUVA is all issues pertaining to the environment from global warming
and other climate changes to extinction of species and conservation of vital natural resources. There are four The third Domain is on issues regarding Academics and Exams and incorporates a host of activities and

xxvi YUVA YUVA xxvii

suggestions which will help students to tackle their exams with more confidence and obtain more marks without any like being blindfolded, so that they can empathise with their friends.
additional stress or pressure. The eighth Domain is Nutrition and it handles areas like under or malnutrition, and over nutrition (obesity). It does
The fourth Domain deals with the Management of Stress and Bullying. Recent cases of extreme aggression by not restrict itself to imaginatively conveying the components of a balanced diet but also ventures into the area of school
students have worried Parents and authorities and we felt it essential to include this area under YUVA. The sessions gardening. Thus, every student under YUVA will cultivate one vegetable every year in the school compound, both in the
contain workable tips on how to handle a case of bullying. They also counsel students on how to avoid anger, to manage ground and in a pot. They will be given seedlings in the school and encouraged to grow the vegetable at home. We
change (which is inevitable) and how to convent negative feelings into positive ones. consciously decided to include cultivation in simple pots and boxes as many of our children live in unplanned colonies or

Cleanliness and Environment issues have been taken up under the fifth Domain, and as indicated earlier these are slums where there is no free land. Since the selected vegetables are basically creepers they can be cultivated in a small
container and trained to creep up the walls of the student’s home, providing an instant source of good nutrition for the
scattered throughout the YUVA Modules. The sessions include specific activities and the students will learn through
entire family. Innovative recipes with interesting names have been 'invented'. As Parents we felt that children weren't
demonstrations. For instance, they are asked to bring some biodegradable garbage from home such as vegetable and
interested in 'lauki ki sabzi' but that having 'Kapil da Kamaal' for lunch wasn't so bad after all! Every student under YUVA
fruit peels. This is put into an earthenware pot in the classroom, earthworms are introduced, and in a few weeks the
will also cook a nutritious recipe, including boys. It was major task for us to install kitchens/Home Science labs in all the
children will visibly see for themselves how compost is made. They are not likely to ever forget such experiences and will
boys' schools but we finally managed it under the VKS. All the sessions in this Domain complement each other perfectly
have the confidence to try them out where ever they may be. In another session, the children develop their own classroom
and give a very holistic perspective to children on nutrition.
garden by making plants and keeping and maintaining them in the classroom. They also learn to make water containers
The ninth Domain is on Health, Hygiene and First Aid. The sessions on First Aid should be read along with sessions
for birds and to put a little food out everyday for birds and squirrels. We would dearly like our children to empathise with
on how to handle a bomb threat and on road safety in Module One. They teach children about the very basics of first aid
and show compassion towards animals. I recall hearing somewhere that each deliberate, man made extinction of a
and what to do for example, if children are alone at home and their elderly grandfather has an accident. It reinforces the
species hurtles mankind itself closer towards its own ultimate extinction. While preparing the sessions on the environment
need to always wash hands properly and to maintain personal hygiene. Important steps on avoiding diseases such as
all of us were dismayed at what people all over the world were doing to the planet, to its creatures and to mother nature.
malaria are covered, and the need for overall well being, where health is not just physical health but mental and social
The wanton destruction and the very planned, deliberate annihilation of the earth's resources point towards the gravest
health also too.
threat that all of us are facing today. It is only the most fool hardy who will destroy their own home, the only home they
The tenth and last domain is on over arching one called Doing the Right Thing and is linked to being positive and
have, and it appears that mankind is determined to get that distinction. We are confident that our children will not be as
making the right choices. This domain is the very heart of YUVA and it lays the foundation for the other
cavalier with their home as we have been with their legacy. The YUVA sessions are critical for children to learn what they
Domains. What does it cover? Well, honesty, integrity, values and principles to start with, going on to ethical
CAN DO. The Fact Sheet with the Eco-Club session in Module Two is alarming and a must read. It sets the tone for all the
behavior and practices, kindness, compassion, empathy, respect, care, happiness, dignity, hope, faith,
other sessions in this Domain. charity, character, and responsibilities. In addition to sessions in Module One which have already been dealt
Cleanliness is a top priority under YUVA and the sessions have a very interesting activity which drives home the point that with, it introduces children to role plays and activities on why they shouldn't lie or steal, and why and how
while everyone complains that others (usually the government) "don’t do anything" to clean up the mess in public areas, the they can be polite, courteous and respectful towards their Teachers and Parents. It deals with issues of how
they can choose to be happy and positive – always 'flying high the kite of hope! It has one of the most critical
fact is that most of us don't even do our own bit to help. The sessions start with children being introduced to how and why they
sessions in YUVA: on female foeticide. This is a rather hard hitting session but we felt that it was essential that Standard XII
can keep their home clean, and builds up to keeping their school, and then their community clean. Boys are encouraged not
students, future parents, understood the full implications of this barbaric act. It includes a role play where students
to urinate or spit in public, and to take pride in having a clean and beautiful city. The sessions are linked to the
excitedly go in a time machine to visit Delhi 50 years from now. They hope to see a beautiful, developed city that is green
Commonwealth Games 2010 and the children reminded that as good hosts they must do their bit to keep their city clean.
and clean. Instead, they see a dark, dull, grey city. There are no girls or women, only men, - men who stare at the girls in
The sixth Domain is about Choosing a Career and primarily dwells on the fact that students can chase their dreams,
the group and start following them. The students go inside a mall and all they see are rows upon rows of men's clothing –
and that there is no need to panic as there are many jobs to choose from. We noticed that a major source of tension for
all grey. There are no sari shops or brightly coloured women's dresses anywhere. There are no cosmetics, or women or
students in the senior classes is what job they will take up, or more seriously, whether a job will even be available to them children here. The men are still following them. By now the students are frightened. A kindly old man sees their plight and
or not. Many come under pressure from Parents to join occupations that were popular when they were growing up. These helps them into a near dark room. The students want to know whatever happened? The old man replies that ever since
sessions have activities to help students understand their aptitude, and to achieve their dreams. "The Great Elimination of Girls" started around 50 years ago in the year 2000 AD, the number of women and girls had
The seventh Domain is all about Interpersonal Relationships, Communication and Decision Making and seeks dwindled rapidly. The family unit had broken down and most people felt that there would be a conflict soon over women.
to help our students to overcome major problems that crop up in life due to poor interpersonal skills and relationships, The students are really scared by now and they rush back to their time machine and to the Delhi of today. They are
and also to acquire the skill to take decisions. This Domain includes three very instructive sessions on the topic of children relieved but deeply concerned: is this the future of their city? The role play deliberately depicts a worst case scenario
with special needs and sensitizes students towards the issue of inclusive education. They play a few interesting games which may become a reality if all of us don’t collectively stop this terrible practice.

xxviii YUVA YUVA xxix

suggestions which will help students to tackle their exams with more confidence and obtain more marks without any like being blindfolded, so that they can empathise with their friends.
additional stress or pressure. The eighth Domain is Nutrition and it handles areas like under or malnutrition, and over nutrition (obesity). It does
The fourth Domain deals with the Management of Stress and Bullying. Recent cases of extreme aggression by not restrict itself to imaginatively conveying the components of a balanced diet but also ventures into the area of school
students have worried Parents and authorities and we felt it essential to include this area under YUVA. The sessions gardening. Thus, every student under YUVA will cultivate one vegetable every year in the school compound, both in the
contain workable tips on how to handle a case of bullying. They also counsel students on how to avoid anger, to manage ground and in a pot. They will be given seedlings in the school and encouraged to grow the vegetable at home. We
change (which is inevitable) and how to convent negative feelings into positive ones. consciously decided to include cultivation in simple pots and boxes as many of our children live in unplanned colonies or

Cleanliness and Environment issues have been taken up under the fifth Domain, and as indicated earlier these are slums where there is no free land. Since the selected vegetables are basically creepers they can be cultivated in a small
container and trained to creep up the walls of the student’s home, providing an instant source of good nutrition for the
scattered throughout the YUVA Modules. The sessions include specific activities and the students will learn through
entire family. Innovative recipes with interesting names have been 'invented'. As Parents we felt that children weren't
demonstrations. For instance, they are asked to bring some biodegradable garbage from home such as vegetable and
interested in 'lauki ki sabzi' but that having 'Kapil da Kamaal' for lunch wasn't so bad after all! Every student under YUVA
fruit peels. This is put into an earthenware pot in the classroom, earthworms are introduced, and in a few weeks the
will also cook a nutritious recipe, including boys. It was major task for us to install kitchens/Home Science labs in all the
children will visibly see for themselves how compost is made. They are not likely to ever forget such experiences and will
boys' schools but we finally managed it under the VKS. All the sessions in this Domain complement each other perfectly
have the confidence to try them out where ever they may be. In another session, the children develop their own classroom
and give a very holistic perspective to children on nutrition.
garden by making plants and keeping and maintaining them in the classroom. They also learn to make water containers
The ninth Domain is on Health, Hygiene and First Aid. The sessions on First Aid should be read along with sessions
for birds and to put a little food out everyday for birds and squirrels. We would dearly like our children to empathise with
on how to handle a bomb threat and on road safety in Module One. They teach children about the very basics of first aid
and show compassion towards animals. I recall hearing somewhere that each deliberate, man made extinction of a
and what to do for example, if children are alone at home and their elderly grandfather has an accident. It reinforces the
species hurtles mankind itself closer towards its own ultimate extinction. While preparing the sessions on the environment
need to always wash hands properly and to maintain personal hygiene. Important steps on avoiding diseases such as
all of us were dismayed at what people all over the world were doing to the planet, to its creatures and to mother nature.
malaria are covered, and the need for overall well being, where health is not just physical health but mental and social
The wanton destruction and the very planned, deliberate annihilation of the earth's resources point towards the gravest
health also too.
threat that all of us are facing today. It is only the most fool hardy who will destroy their own home, the only home they
The tenth and last domain is on over arching one called Doing the Right Thing and is linked to being positive and
have, and it appears that mankind is determined to get that distinction. We are confident that our children will not be as
making the right choices. This domain is the very heart of YUVA and it lays the foundation for the other
cavalier with their home as we have been with their legacy. The YUVA sessions are critical for children to learn what they
Domains. What does it cover? Well, honesty, integrity, values and principles to start with, going on to ethical
CAN DO. The Fact Sheet with the Eco-Club session in Module Two is alarming and a must read. It sets the tone for all the
behavior and practices, kindness, compassion, empathy, respect, care, happiness, dignity, hope, faith,
other sessions in this Domain. charity, character, and responsibilities. In addition to sessions in Module One which have already been dealt
Cleanliness is a top priority under YUVA and the sessions have a very interesting activity which drives home the point that with, it introduces children to role plays and activities on why they shouldn't lie or steal, and why and how
while everyone complains that others (usually the government) "don’t do anything" to clean up the mess in public areas, the they can be polite, courteous and respectful towards their Teachers and Parents. It deals with issues of how
they can choose to be happy and positive – always 'flying high the kite of hope! It has one of the most critical
fact is that most of us don't even do our own bit to help. The sessions start with children being introduced to how and why they
sessions in YUVA: on female foeticide. This is a rather hard hitting session but we felt that it was essential that Standard XII
can keep their home clean, and builds up to keeping their school, and then their community clean. Boys are encouraged not
students, future parents, understood the full implications of this barbaric act. It includes a role play where students
to urinate or spit in public, and to take pride in having a clean and beautiful city. The sessions are linked to the
excitedly go in a time machine to visit Delhi 50 years from now. They hope to see a beautiful, developed city that is green
Commonwealth Games 2010 and the children reminded that as good hosts they must do their bit to keep their city clean.
and clean. Instead, they see a dark, dull, grey city. There are no girls or women, only men, - men who stare at the girls in
The sixth Domain is about Choosing a Career and primarily dwells on the fact that students can chase their dreams,
the group and start following them. The students go inside a mall and all they see are rows upon rows of men's clothing –
and that there is no need to panic as there are many jobs to choose from. We noticed that a major source of tension for
all grey. There are no sari shops or brightly coloured women's dresses anywhere. There are no cosmetics, or women or
students in the senior classes is what job they will take up, or more seriously, whether a job will even be available to them children here. The men are still following them. By now the students are frightened. A kindly old man sees their plight and
or not. Many come under pressure from Parents to join occupations that were popular when they were growing up. These helps them into a near dark room. The students want to know whatever happened? The old man replies that ever since
sessions have activities to help students understand their aptitude, and to achieve their dreams. "The Great Elimination of Girls" started around 50 years ago in the year 2000 AD, the number of women and girls had
The seventh Domain is all about Interpersonal Relationships, Communication and Decision Making and seeks dwindled rapidly. The family unit had broken down and most people felt that there would be a conflict soon over women.
to help our students to overcome major problems that crop up in life due to poor interpersonal skills and relationships, The students are really scared by now and they rush back to their time machine and to the Delhi of today. They are
and also to acquire the skill to take decisions. This Domain includes three very instructive sessions on the topic of children relieved but deeply concerned: is this the future of their city? The role play deliberately depicts a worst case scenario
with special needs and sensitizes students towards the issue of inclusive education. They play a few interesting games which may become a reality if all of us don’t collectively stop this terrible practice.

xxviii YUVA YUVA xxix

 In another role play, students enact Parents who have just undergone female foeticide. Anecdotal evidence from a zero size figure or 6 pack abs. Instead, the main issue seemed more about the students' responses to these. Many of
NGOs uniformly suggests that after the foeticide, the foetus is always shown to the family so that they can "reassure" them were totally taken in by these but many it appeared were not. The latter group displayed remarkable maturity and
themselves that it actually was a girl. In the role play the students are handed over the "Foetus" (a doll). They see it depth of understanding – they could 'discern' when an endorsement was being promoted just for monetary gains. They
moving, struggling to live and they feel its pain. Then it dies. The "Parents" are shattered. What have they done? We at were able to take all the "negative" and "harmful" messages being received and they were able to take these, sift out
YUVA strongly felt that students must be moved by this session – moved enough to motivate family members against the best, and ignore the rest. It was from these extraordinary children that we learnt that our mission was actually to
female foeticide and to never commit it themselves. The session ends with the students taking a vow not to commit, or teach all children the skills to be able to ‘discern’ – to enjoy watching someone popular dance about on your TV screen,
allow, female foeticide. or the 'perfect mother' and 'perfect housewife' with 'perfect children' and 'perfect' home happily telling you that if you
buy product xyz then your life will be equally ‘perfect’- to enjoy all this, and yet not go rushing out to buy the product, not
at least until they've read the fine print, investigated the advantages of the product, scrutinized the harmful substances
and additives it may have, checked the prices and features with other similar products on the market, assured themselves
The impact and benefits of the YUVA initiative are there for everyone to see. They are tangible and visible, in the
on the after sales service and asked themselves the question- is it really good for me? So we turned to Life Skills Education
indicators and data, in the buildings and in the attitudes. Our school in the President's Estate has undergone an
– the skills of Self Awareness and Coping with Stress (it doesn't matter if I am dark, or plump – I am still worthy of being
incredible transformation and it is now one of our finest – a clean, bright and cheerful building with committed Teachers
loved and my favourite film star should have known that), the skills of Critical Thinking and Decision Making (l've read
and Principal, bustling with laughter and activities, and with excellent results too. Under "Pahel" we have added another
and heard that aerated drinks are harmful and not good for me. So let me enjoy the commercial with my favourite
feather to our cap as we provide job based training to some students who have passed out of Standard XII, and high
cricketer, and let him drink the aerated drink). The advantage with this approach is that by and large we can move our
quality special training to other students who want to compete in entrance exams to medical, engineering and even
focus away from all media, and towards giving Life Skills Education to students. It also equips students with the skills to
fashion designing professional courses. The work of ensuring quality education is a never ending one and we are
appreciate and be influenced by positive role models and messages in the media. For example, recent advertisements
constantly adding new schemes and programmes to the YUVA portfolio.
asking everyone to vote, those showing adult daughters taking care of their Parents, and those featuring men who do
Our goal under YUVA has been to teach and help children, Parents and Teachers to be prepared. No one can really household chores and fathers who take up vital responsibilities concerning the care of their children, are very welcome,
ever know what totally unexpected challenge or emergency will suddenly arise. Some time ago there was a huge outcry and there is much to be proud about in our free media.
against the misuse of mobile phones which were filming or taking embarrassing photos of girls, and there was a demand Life Skills Education can thus help our Teachers, Parents and students to take the right decisions in all
that schools must teach girls about these dangers as well as teach boys not to do such things. After that, instances of situations, irrespective of whether there is a session on it in the YUVA SLP or not!
aggression by students were a cause of worry with not just bullying but shootouts and knife stabbing suddenly emerging The entire YUVA initiative is based on the premise that everyone is equal, and it therefore is an ideal tool to promote
in schools. The need to teach children how to deal with anger and aggression, and how they must not resort to violence, Human Rights. It seeks to empower students to be positive agents of change, influencing the actions of their family, the
was raised. Recent terrorist attacks have led to bomb hoax calls in schools and combined with a general fear of the school and even the community.
unexpected, the need to give some training to children so they are better able to respond to handle emergencies was felt.
YUVA Skills and Life Skills however have to be constantly used and practiced, this will help convert them into habits
Tragic fire incidents in schools in which hundreds of students lost their lives have led to the unanimous feeling that we
and a 'habitual way of thinking' that will over time become unconscious behaviour on our part. However the fact is that
have to conduct mock drills in our schools and equip students with the skills to cope in all cases of disaster, be they man
no matter how positive we are, or the fact that we've made the right choice and done our best, things can still go wrong
made, accidental or natural. Recent instances of physical corporal punishment all over the country, some of such
and people will let us down. In spite of our enormous emphasis on positivity and motivation, we could not lose right of
shocking proportions that the children lost their lives, have made it essential to reach out to Teachers, to train them and
the fact that discipline had to go hand in hand with all our initiatives, and that whenever any Teacher crossed the line,
even counsel them where required. Sporadic cases of physical molestation of students still surface from time to time and punishment had to be considered. As a rule, we do not punish any Teacher or Principal except on the most severe
verbal abuse appears to be prevalent in many schools across the country. We in Delhi's Department of Education are grounds such as molestation where we have a zero tolerance policy. Elsewhere we make it clear that we will not hesitate
proud that we have heard these voices of concern and have developed what we hope is a response - the YUVA School to be tough, but all we expect form them is that they do their best, and we give them all the resources they need to do this.
Life Skills Programme. It teaches Teachers and students valuable lessons on being prepared and how to handle all types
Before concluding, I would like to extend a personal thank you to a few people starting with the Teachers and
of situations that they may face.
Principals in my own schools especially Father Moore and Father Keogh at St. Xavier's, Bokaro. Wherever I was
The YUVA SLP also seeks to help Parents, Teachers and Students to become "discerning" individuals, who will be able uncertain of what to do, I wondered what they would have done, and the answer then appeared, crystal clear. To three
to make the right choices in all situations. For example, while preparing the sessions we had a fairly large member of very brilliant and dynamic young men who I had the privilege of working with – the Directors of Education Vijay Kumar,
sessions on the issue of the influence of the media, particularly films and advertisements. But somewhere along the line Sandeep Kumar and Chandra Bhushan Kumar. To the former Chief Secretary Shri R.Reghunathan for selecting me for the
we felt that we were missing the wood for the trees. The issue really wasn't so much about iconic film stars endorsing post and his unstinting, unswerving support which has made all the difference. To Shri P.K. Tripathi, Principal Secretary to
unhealthy aerated drinks or fairness creams. The issue really wasn't so much about children feeling the pressure to have the CM who has mentored and guided all of us, helping us to resolve what looked like insurmountable problems. It was

xxx YUVA YUVA xxxi

 In another role play, students enact Parents who have just undergone female foeticide. Anecdotal evidence from a zero size figure or 6 pack abs. Instead, the main issue seemed more about the students' responses to these. Many of
NGOs uniformly suggests that after the foeticide, the foetus is always shown to the family so that they can "reassure" them were totally taken in by these but many it appeared were not. The latter group displayed remarkable maturity and
themselves that it actually was a girl. In the role play the students are handed over the "Foetus" (a doll). They see it depth of understanding – they could 'discern' when an endorsement was being promoted just for monetary gains. They
moving, struggling to live and they feel its pain. Then it dies. The "Parents" are shattered. What have they done? We at were able to take all the "negative" and "harmful" messages being received and they were able to take these, sift out
YUVA strongly felt that students must be moved by this session – moved enough to motivate family members against the best, and ignore the rest. It was from these extraordinary children that we learnt that our mission was actually to
female foeticide and to never commit it themselves. The session ends with the students taking a vow not to commit, or teach all children the skills to be able to ‘discern’ – to enjoy watching someone popular dance about on your TV screen,
allow, female foeticide. or the 'perfect mother' and 'perfect housewife' with 'perfect children' and 'perfect' home happily telling you that if you
buy product xyz then your life will be equally ‘perfect’- to enjoy all this, and yet not go rushing out to buy the product, not
at least until they've read the fine print, investigated the advantages of the product, scrutinized the harmful substances
and additives it may have, checked the prices and features with other similar products on the market, assured themselves
The impact and benefits of the YUVA initiative are there for everyone to see. They are tangible and visible, in the
on the after sales service and asked themselves the question- is it really good for me? So we turned to Life Skills Education
indicators and data, in the buildings and in the attitudes. Our school in the President's Estate has undergone an
– the skills of Self Awareness and Coping with Stress (it doesn't matter if I am dark, or plump – I am still worthy of being
incredible transformation and it is now one of our finest – a clean, bright and cheerful building with committed Teachers
loved and my favourite film star should have known that), the skills of Critical Thinking and Decision Making (l've read
and Principal, bustling with laughter and activities, and with excellent results too. Under "Pahel" we have added another
and heard that aerated drinks are harmful and not good for me. So let me enjoy the commercial with my favourite
feather to our cap as we provide job based training to some students who have passed out of Standard XII, and high
cricketer, and let him drink the aerated drink). The advantage with this approach is that by and large we can move our
quality special training to other students who want to compete in entrance exams to medical, engineering and even
focus away from all media, and towards giving Life Skills Education to students. It also equips students with the skills to
fashion designing professional courses. The work of ensuring quality education is a never ending one and we are
appreciate and be influenced by positive role models and messages in the media. For example, recent advertisements
constantly adding new schemes and programmes to the YUVA portfolio.
asking everyone to vote, those showing adult daughters taking care of their Parents, and those featuring men who do
Our goal under YUVA has been to teach and help children, Parents and Teachers to be prepared. No one can really household chores and fathers who take up vital responsibilities concerning the care of their children, are very welcome,
ever know what totally unexpected challenge or emergency will suddenly arise. Some time ago there was a huge outcry and there is much to be proud about in our free media.
against the misuse of mobile phones which were filming or taking embarrassing photos of girls, and there was a demand Life Skills Education can thus help our Teachers, Parents and students to take the right decisions in all
that schools must teach girls about these dangers as well as teach boys not to do such things. After that, instances of situations, irrespective of whether there is a session on it in the YUVA SLP or not!
aggression by students were a cause of worry with not just bullying but shootouts and knife stabbing suddenly emerging The entire YUVA initiative is based on the premise that everyone is equal, and it therefore is an ideal tool to promote
in schools. The need to teach children how to deal with anger and aggression, and how they must not resort to violence, Human Rights. It seeks to empower students to be positive agents of change, influencing the actions of their family, the
was raised. Recent terrorist attacks have led to bomb hoax calls in schools and combined with a general fear of the school and even the community.
unexpected, the need to give some training to children so they are better able to respond to handle emergencies was felt.
YUVA Skills and Life Skills however have to be constantly used and practiced, this will help convert them into habits
Tragic fire incidents in schools in which hundreds of students lost their lives have led to the unanimous feeling that we
and a 'habitual way of thinking' that will over time become unconscious behaviour on our part. However the fact is that
have to conduct mock drills in our schools and equip students with the skills to cope in all cases of disaster, be they man
no matter how positive we are, or the fact that we've made the right choice and done our best, things can still go wrong
made, accidental or natural. Recent instances of physical corporal punishment all over the country, some of such
and people will let us down. In spite of our enormous emphasis on positivity and motivation, we could not lose right of
shocking proportions that the children lost their lives, have made it essential to reach out to Teachers, to train them and
the fact that discipline had to go hand in hand with all our initiatives, and that whenever any Teacher crossed the line,
even counsel them where required. Sporadic cases of physical molestation of students still surface from time to time and punishment had to be considered. As a rule, we do not punish any Teacher or Principal except on the most severe
verbal abuse appears to be prevalent in many schools across the country. We in Delhi's Department of Education are grounds such as molestation where we have a zero tolerance policy. Elsewhere we make it clear that we will not hesitate
proud that we have heard these voices of concern and have developed what we hope is a response - the YUVA School to be tough, but all we expect form them is that they do their best, and we give them all the resources they need to do this.
Life Skills Programme. It teaches Teachers and students valuable lessons on being prepared and how to handle all types
Before concluding, I would like to extend a personal thank you to a few people starting with the Teachers and
of situations that they may face.
Principals in my own schools especially Father Moore and Father Keogh at St. Xavier's, Bokaro. Wherever I was
The YUVA SLP also seeks to help Parents, Teachers and Students to become "discerning" individuals, who will be able uncertain of what to do, I wondered what they would have done, and the answer then appeared, crystal clear. To three
to make the right choices in all situations. For example, while preparing the sessions we had a fairly large member of very brilliant and dynamic young men who I had the privilege of working with – the Directors of Education Vijay Kumar,
sessions on the issue of the influence of the media, particularly films and advertisements. But somewhere along the line Sandeep Kumar and Chandra Bhushan Kumar. To the former Chief Secretary Shri R.Reghunathan for selecting me for the
we felt that we were missing the wood for the trees. The issue really wasn't so much about iconic film stars endorsing post and his unstinting, unswerving support which has made all the difference. To Shri P.K. Tripathi, Principal Secretary to
unhealthy aerated drinks or fairness creams. The issue really wasn't so much about children feeling the pressure to have the CM who has mentored and guided all of us, helping us to resolve what looked like insurmountable problems. It was

xxx YUVA YUVA xxxi

his constant presence by our side and his motivation that has made all these achievements possible. To the Minister
Education Shri Arvinder Singh who worked with all of us as part of a team and who reached out to everyone, including
DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS OF THE YUVA SCHOOL LIFESKILLS PROGRAMME (SLP)
the officials, Teachers and students. All he has ever wanted is for the system to provide high quality education befitting the
capital of the country and he has in fact led the team. To the Chief Minister Smt. Shiela Dikshit who has inspired everyone
and who has stood by us like a rock. It was she who suggested that we start a Life Skills Programme and she has Dr. Patanjali Dev Nayar Project Director and Chairman
constantly given us valuable inputs particularly on civic and environmental issues. The trust and faith she reposed in us Technical Support Group
made all of us want to work even harder, and it gave us the confidence to deliver. She has been the best role model for us, YUVA SLP
for which we thank her very much. And of course, a very big thank you to our amazing officers, Teachers, Principals and E-mail: drpdnayar@gmail.com
students, all part of Team YUVA. I have learnt so much from them and am really proud to be part of their Team!
Although we are immensely proud of our achievements we are aware of the huge amount of work which still needs to
be done to provide all children in Delhi access to education that makes them happy, healthy, productive and responsible
members of civil society. We have learnt under YUVA to have hope and trust, and to have faith – faith in ourselves, in
others, and faith that there is a meaning and purpose in all that we do. I would like to conclude with a few lines from the
YUVA Theme Song – "Mann YUVA" - written, composed and sung by Palash Sen and the rock band EUPHORIA. This foot India is a young country. Children in India live in diverse circumstances and have diverse needs and rights. Along with
tapping hugely popular song has words which have struck a chord with all our students. All that children really need are their need to be educated, healthy and skillful, they need, and have rights to adequate nutrition, to live in a safe and
our love, support and good education, and with this they can change the world, making it a better place. They are our supportive environment, have opportunities to reach their optimal potential and generally lead healthy, joyful and
future, and they carry with them our hopes and aspirations. It is remarkable how EUPHORIA have captured these fulfilling lives so that they can be productive and well adjusted citizens of tomorrow. Children in our country face many
feelings so beautifully in their song: challenges. Many of them are first generation learners and face myriad problems throughout their schooling. They, due
Ek pal mein prashn kitne to the socio-economic and cultural determinants may be vulnerable in many ways. Peer pressure and lack of positive role

Poochta hain Mann YUVA models may prompt them to make unsafe and unhealthy choices. Anxiety and depression amongst the students, to the
point of turning them suicidal, have been a cause of concern in the recent past. Girls are more vulnerable and face
Dil hi dil mein sapne kitne
discrimination at many levels from being unwelcome since birth to being pulled out of school for a variety of reasons.
Dekhta hai yeh Mann YUVA.
Dropping out of school, low motivation for academics and general disinterest in sports and physical activities too are
some of the problems that need to be addressed. Child malnutrition is rampant in most parts of the country. Up to 89% of
Kitni khushia, kitne sapne
girls and 67% of boys are found to be anaemic, and up to 1/4th are stunted, in some parts of the country. This has an
Kitne aasha hai Mann YUVA adverse bearing on their cognitive capacities, learning performance and physical capacity. The various issues and the
Nasamajh hai phir bhi samjhe "needs" of the children are not only important for the individual or the family but also impact the national economic,
Baat saari yeh Mann YUVA social, and public health indicators adversely.
Soch le jo, to badal de, duniya saari
Our children have a right to age appropriate education, skills building, a safe and supportive
Yeh Mann YUVA environment, positive role models, empowerment, and friendly health services and counseling. They
require these for metamorphosing into responsible and productive citizens. Well informed and skilled
children are likely to make better decisions concerning not only their careers and relationships, habits,
physical and mental health, but will be socially adept, successful and an asset to the society. They, to take
advantage of the winds of globalization, also need to understand and deal with emerging issues like newly available
(RINA RAY) career choices, pollution, water and energy conservation, global warming, protection of environment, terrorism and
IAS disasters. Dealing with anxiety and depression, negative peer pressure, violence, accidents, are some other significant
Secretary (Education, Sports and Culture) issues that impact individuals health and also the social, economic and health indicators of the country. Gender
Government of National Capital Territory sensitivity, prevention of female foeticide and good parenting are some important social issues that all children need to
of Delhi
understand. Children require guidance and assistance - both covert and overt- from their Parents, Teachers, peers and
Concept and Team Leader,
YUVA SLP society in general to complete the various "tasks" of development and deal with such issues.

xxxii YUVA YUVA xxxiii