DPS-Bopal honours 270 students at Pratibha Gaurav Divas
The Bopal School Event Combined Student Awards with a Kathak Cultural Performance.
Delhi Public School-Bopal honoured 270 students from Grades X and XI at its Pratibha Gaurav Divas on 19 August, recognising their academic achievements during the 2025-26 session.
The ceremony brought together students, parents, teachers and school leaders, with Sharad Singhal, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ahmedabad City, and Dr Sunil S. Iyer, Vice President and Head of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Development at Zydus Lifesciences Ltd., as guests.
The school’s official records list Sabina Sawhney as its principal and place the school near Bopal Square and the Bopal railway crossing in Ahmedabad. The school is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and was established in 1996.
The latest awards programme continued a practice already seen at the school. DPS-Bopal held a Pratibha Gaurav Divas in November 2025 for Class IX students of the 2024-25 session, with awards presented for academic work, creativity, hard work and perseverance.
At the 19 August event, the focus was on students from Grades X and XI. The 270 students were recognised for their results and other achievements during the academic year.
The programme began with dignitaries offering flowers as part of the opening ceremony. Principal Sabina Sawhney then addressed the gathering and spoke about the part played by families in a student’s progress. She asked students to accept setbacks and rejection without losing confidence and to treat difficult experiences as chances to learn.
A Kathak performance by students followed. The presentation used dance to depict a move from restrictions and pain towards freedom and new beginnings. It added a cultural element to a ceremony centred on student achievement.
The main part of the programme was the presentation of awards to the students. Parents and teachers watched as the young achievers were called forward and recognised for their work.
Singhal, who is listed in government records as an IPS officer and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ahmedabad City, spoke about the role teachers and mentors play in a student’s development. The Gujarat government records identify him as a 2006-batch IPS officer.
His message to the students centred on planning. He asked them to set both short-term and long-term goals, build their knowledge and understand the value of sustained hard work. His comments also drew on his own professional experience in public service.
Singhal has been serving in Ahmedabad’s Crime Branch in the Joint Commissioner of Police role since 2024, according to the Gujarat government IPS civil list. His appointment followed a state police reshuffle that year.
His presence also gave students an example of a career that involves public responsibility and decision-making. For teenagers preparing to choose subjects, courses and careers, such interaction can provide a direct connection between classroom learning and professional life.
Dr Sunil S. Iyer brought a different professional background to the programme. He is associated with Zydus Lifesciences’ work in biopharmaceutics and clinical development. A 2026 clinical research paper lists Iyer as an author from Zydus Lifesciences’ Pharmaceutical Technology Centre in Sanand, Ahmedabad, showing his involvement in pharmaceutical research.
Speaking to the students, Iyer placed emphasis on character and the choices young people make. He told them that respect is linked to character and pointed to mentorship and sound decisions as important factors in building a future. He also asked students to think creatively and turn their goals into practical action through steady effort.
The two speakers came from very different fields, but their messages to the students had a common focus on preparation. Singhal spoke about goals, knowledge and hard work, while Iyer focused on character, guidance and decisions.
For the school, the event also reflected its wider approach to student development. DPS-Bopal’s recent school publications record activities in areas such as leadership, sports, cultural programmes and creative work alongside academic studies. In July 2025, for example, the school held its Junior School Investiture Ceremony, where a 53-member student council took charge across six houses.
Academic achievement has also remained a visible part of the school’s recent record. In the 2025 CBSE Class XII results, DPS-Bopal student Ishani Debnath scored a perfect 500 out of 500 in the Humanities stream, according to a report by The Times of India. She was reported as the national and global topper in that stream.
The Pratibha Gaurav Divas was therefore part of a broader school calendar in which academic results, student leadership and cultural activities receive space.
The ceremony ended with a vote of thanks by the Head Girl, who acknowledged the guests, school management, teachers, parents and students.
For the 270 students who received recognition, the event marked a specific point in their school careers. Their awards recorded work completed during the 2025-26 academic session, while the messages from the guests placed that achievement in a wider setting: future choices will require continued study, good judgement, guidance and the ability to deal with setbacks.
The programme closed with students and families celebrating the awards, as the school turned its attention to the next stage of their academic lives.
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