Lucknow is a land of marvels. From food to fashion, the city of Nawabs has a distinct taste! It has always been acclaimed for its historical exquisiteness, flamboyant culture, mouth-watering cuisine, modish apparels and an unparalleled brotherhood. And Lucknow is equally a hub for learning, for blooming into the finest of human kind. The city possesses some of the oldest and best institutions, popular for their singularity in infrastructure and tutoring techniques. One such is Navayuga Radiance Senior Secondary School.
“Not all renowned are fully known.”
Radiance has been into existence since 1967 and since its inception, it has moulded hundreds and thousands of girls into poised and accomplished young ladies. The institution was a brainchild of Shri B. P. Halwasiya, ex-mayor of Lucknow, who built it with a vision to empower the daughters of India, a deprived section of his times. It is true revolution isn’t a one day work; it is a toil of years. Mr. Halwasiya laboured extensively to realise his dream and the dream of those little girls who aspired learning. When Radiance was inaugurated back in 60s, the enrolment wasn’t big in numbers. However, with the passing of years, Radiance emerged as a recognized institution for girls in Lucknow, a school where admission was arduous, if not impossible.
Location:-
Navayuga Radiance is located in the posh locality of Rajendra Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It is now solely devoted to senior secondary education after two new branches for the pre-primary (Navayuga Kids) and primary section (Navayuga Radiance School, B. P. Halwasiya Block) were inaugurated in 2006 and 2016 respectively to accommodate the ever- increasing number of toddlers. Another branch of Radiance is located at Jankipuram.
Infrastructure:-
The beautiful yellow walls of this three-storeyed building instil enlightenment in the students who enter the precincts of this school to seek wisdom and knowledge. In order to deliver a fitting environment to the learners, the school is well-supplied with spacious classes, well-equipped labs, playing area; ICT supported digital classes, special classrooms dedicated to extra-curricular activities and more. The library is maintained with the latest magazines, study materials, fictional and non-fictional works of renowned authors from across the world and books on a variety of subjects. The auditorium is equally large with a capacity of seating over 500 students. A beautiful garden just outside the auditorium adds fresh aroma to the atmosphere and is adorned with some of the most captivating flora planted by the students themselves on Meghutsava.
Keeping in mind the hygiene of the students, teachers as well as the staff, separate toilets are constructed at each floor, and are sanitized twice a day. Two sets of dustbin on each tier, for biodegradable and non-biodegradable trash are installed to keep the campus clean and also to tutor the students about the difference in the wastes. Water coolers dispensing fresh water are fixed to ensure a constant supply of water. The cafeteria provides wholesome food and the menu changes daily providing a range of delicacies to all. To keep the students in good physical shape, aerated drinks and junk food are strictly excluded from the menu.
Academics:-
Navayuga Radiance is affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education. It imparts education to girls from Pre-Nursery to Class 12th. The students are taught a wide variety of subjects in a creative fashion so as to ensure the maximum understanding of the concepts to all. Innovative teaching techniques in the form of projects, models, class quizzes, debates, skits and more are as much a part of the curriculum as are monthly tests and lectures. Moreover, the school offers subjects like Sanskrit, Sociology, Fashion Designing and even the vocational courses at the senior level which are generally absent in most schools of Lucknow. Especially in a career-oriented system of ours, vocational courses assist the students to open new dimensions of possibilities in future. The students are assessed regularly through oral and on paper tests and are also felicitated for their exceptional results on the Annual Felicitation Ceremony.
Activities:-
The campus buzzes with multifarious activities all year round. From the celebration of national days to intra-school and inter-school competitions, Radiance always motivates its young girls to come forward and display their flair. Children are encouraged to participate in the manifold activities so as to build up their confidence as an individual and also to foster team-spirit when working together in a group activity. Important days like Mother’s Day, Kargil Diwas, World Heritage Day, World Environment Day, International Yoga Day, Teacher’s Day, etc. are also observed with utter zeal. The students are divided into four houses viz. Satya, Dharm, Prem and Shanti to cultivate a sense of these values. A number of Inter-House competitions are held every month to give a platform to the talents of the students. There are 13 clubs additionally, and the child can choose any one as per her interests. These clubs further enhance the skills of a student in their field of interest.
The Annual Inter-School Fest- Youth Conclave is organized every year around the months of October-November in which more than 25 schools of Lucknow participate. The event is significant for providing exposure to the students by allowing them to participate in over 30 diverse events and compete with students of other schools. Annual Exhibition and Fete are the most awaited events for the children when their craft works are displayed before the parents and they are given a chance to chill out from the busy routine. The Annual Concert and Annual Sports Day are other important events of Radiance which includes full participation of the entire student body. These activities make sure that the learning environment of the school doesn’t turn into a monotonous one; it gives a reason to students to attend the school daily to be a part of these events and showcase their abilities beyond studies.
Why is Radiance Unique?
“Uniqueness isn’t exhibited by being different; it is exhibited by doing different!”
The motto of Radiance is “Sa vidya ya vimuktaye” which translates to “knowledge that sets one free”. Radiance is unique for standing as an epitome of women empowerment in every way possible to actualize the motto it hails. Women still respire amid constraints and Radiance believes that knowledge is the only weapon to liberation. The institution is an all-girls’ not just with respect to the fraction of students studying here but also in terms of teaching staff and office members utilising their specialization. Navayuga Radiance owes its strength to 2500+ little girls, more than 80 lady teachers and the office and support staff comprising of 20 females. Since the 60s, Navayuga Radiance has been instrumental in turning women into a dreamer, a believer and an achiever. The atmosphere brimming with motivation helps the girls to excel in whichever field they step into; it is this encouragement that has aided the girls of this institution to mark their representation in national level taekwondo and table-tennis championships and bring laurels to the school.
Girls here are nourished with the best to be able to deliver finest to the world waiting outside the portals of the school. The young ladies are not just taught academics, but morals too. With a view to propose an example before the students it tutors, Radiance itself follows what it imparts. And it is this speciality of Radiance that distinguishes it from all other schools and all other female-centric institutions, in particular. Keeping along with the time and the ability to adapt isn’t something which is only taught in class but also practiced. In 2017, Radiance launched its app Radiance Pro to reach out to students and parents, technologically. The importance of social service, being an asset to the humankind, “Caring is sharing” aren’t the values limited to textbooks; they are wholeheartedly carried out at Radiance by taking students to Cheshire Home on every National holiday and working on the Aasha Kiran programme throughout the year.
Navayuga Radiance Senior Secondary School is definitely an institution that prepares girls to create and enter into a new age (Nav-yuga) by instilling diamond-like radiance within them that gleams all over the world!
By Shatakshi Dubey, Lucknow
