DPS or Delhi Public School, India’s premier K-12 school brand is yet again in news. The controversy surrounding the franchise-way of expansion that began around 2006 refuses to die down. Ever since the
days of Narendera Kumar, one of the well-known publishers who owned M/s Har Anand Publications, as president of Delhi Public School Society (the managing organization of 11 own DPS schools in Delhi and over 125 franchise schools across India and abraad), has seen a series of allegations and counter allegations from its own high profile members. In 2008, former union minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who is an alumnus of DPS Mathura Raod school and in several ways the ambassador –at-large about the brand DPS, was expelled by the then President Ashok Chandra for having challenged admitting franchise schools without giving them voting rights. The enmity amongst recent time presidents and controversial win by one vote by present incumbent V K Shunglu (a former CAG) early last year, has made the tussle uglier.
In the latest develop Louise Khurshid, wife of Salman Khurshid and Rajiv Soni, president of DPS Alumni Association have teamed up to launch DPS World Foundation whose charter among other things includes admitting affiliate school members under a refined brand of DPS World. The sacking of long-serving principal (31 years) of DPS Mathura Road, Mohammad Iqrar Hussain, has provided new ammunition for angry, neglected and ambitious lot. Hussain himself may be supporting the new initiative.
The newly launched foundation has life trustees, term trustees, Advisory Council, Managing Council and an Education and Resources council. Prominent on life trustee council include Dr Montek Singh Ahulwalia, Meera Shah, Rajeev Talwar and Salman Khurshid. Ambika Soni, Kumari Shelja, Surender Singh are among term trustees. Former CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi, Socialite and commentator Suhel Seth, Mohd Azharuddin, Richard Whitburn are among advisors.Punam Kashyap, June Fernandes, Samtosh Mattu, all former DPs principals feature among education resources. Louise Khurshid is the president of the foundation. The membership is open to dipsites, the definition of which encompasses DPS alumni, parents of alumni, teachers, staff etc. According to Rajiv Soni, “this is the real DPS platform as DPS society with no charter except making money is filled with people who have no past with DPS. We want to usher the power of Dipsites and education not only for India but world as well.
