MADHAV AWARDEES

Amit Jain, an alumnus of The Scindia School, exemplifies in his life and work the fundamental values that the institution stands for. He exemplifies in his thoughts and actions, a true Scindian who is a global leader, aspiring for a sustainable future and leading by example. Amit Jain is the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Emaar Properties PJSC, a leading real estate company in the Middle East, renowned for its notable landmarks such as Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, and the Dubai Fountain.
Amit Jain was a proud student of the Jeevaji House of the Scindia School from 1984 to 1988. He was an all-rounder, extremely focused in Academics and all that he committed himself to. The practice of introspection in Astachal has made him a calm and composed person that he is, unperturbed during difficult situations. Armed with a degree in Business and Commerce from Delhi University, and qualifications in CA and CFA, he went on to successfully assay the roles of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Emaar Properties, as well as CFO roles at Dubai Bank and Audit and Risk Officer at Emirates Bank and Management Consultant at Ernst and Young.
Amit Jain has also been recognized in Forbes Middle East’s CEO rankings and featured in Arabian Business’s India Power List. His strategic vision includes expanding Emaar's presence globally, with operations in 11 countries, and a focus on sustainable real estate development. He has played a pivotal role in the development of an ESG framework for the company, with aims to reduce energy costs and integrate green technology into future projects. As a proud Indian, he is the Board Member of the UAE India Business Council (UIBC) responsible for the identification of business development opportunities between UAE and India. He spearheaded a project relating to food security for Government of UAE with assistance from India, which was sponsored by the Indian Prime Minister and the President of UAE.
Amit Jain's corporate social responsibility initiatives include regular donations to educational institutions, supporting affordable housing projects, and providing aid during crises, such as assistance to Turkey following an earthquake. His leadership style emphasizes innovation, resilience, and teamwork, with a focus on creating superior lifestyle offerings for customers, inculcating AI and technological advancements in all his endeavours. In his personal life, he is known for his interest in architecture, current affairs and sports, particularly golf and athletics.
The Scindia School acknowledges Amit Jain as an Old Boy of Eminence for his exemplary leadership qualities with deep commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and for his outstanding contribution to real estate, by conferring upon him the Madhav Award 2024.

At The Scindia School we have been constantly cultivating a spirit of enterprise and a sound intellect infused with a sense of service. Such exemplar alumni, who are the quintessence of the Scindian ethos, become the right references for every Scindian. Belonging to the same legacy is Mr Ranjan Tandon who has carved an extraordinary niche for himself as a global thought leader. It gives us an extraordinary delight to honor an Old Boy whose vision as an entrepreneur is not limited to scholarly pursuits but flows deep into the realm of music and philanthropy. Mr Ranjan Tandon is an example of a true Scindian who is the finest blend of integrity and ethos. Embarking on the ethical values that he imbibed at The Scindia School during the years of 1963-67, he went on to become the owner and President of Libra Advisors, a multi- billion dollar Hedge Fund which has been continually ranked among the top hedge Funds by Barron's, a sister publication to the Wall Street Journal.
Mr Tandon has held several manufacturing and operating positions with DCM in India and Halliburton in Europe; was Chief Financial Officer at Intermarine, Inc. He was a financial Executive at Merrill Lynch & amp; Co and went on to lead it as its Vice President. Mr Ranjan is a Board Member of the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation. He has also held the position of Co-Chairman at Arbor Gen Holdings Ltd.
While at Scindia, he was mentored by his venerated Housemaster, Mr G K Kapoor and his exceptional Principal, Mr J L Dar. At school he was a distinguished scholar and had already proved his mettle by winning the MP Governors medal for the Best Scholar of the year in 1966-67. Subsequently he joined 11T Kanpur where he headed the Engineering Society as the Chairman and also led the Tennis Team as the Captain. He received his MBA from the Harvard Business School, Boston, in 1977. 11T Kanpur has bestowed on him the 'Distinguished Alumnus' award for his philanthropic work in both academic and co-scholastic verticals. Mr Ranjan is married to Chandrika, an accomplished musician and a Grammy award nominee. Together, they founded the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation, which actively assists the New York University School of Engineering in fostering excellence in academics as well as stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship. As a tribute to their generosity, the school was rechristened as the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Their foundation has actively supported other institutions like the Lincoln Centre, the Berklee School of Music and has also endowed Professorships at Harvard Business School and Yale Universities.
The Scindia School confers on Mr Ranjan Tandon, the Madhav Award as an Old Boy of Eminence for the year 2023 for his outstanding work through the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation, wherein he has explored the academic and musical genius of the aspirants at ebb and flow of human creativity; and for his indispensable contribution as a business leader to the world.

An alumnus of The Scindia School, Justice Sanjay Mishra is the Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh. He exemplifies in his life and work the fundamental values of courage and non-discrimination that this institution stands for. Justice Mishra studied at The Scindia School from 1964 - 69. While in School, he excelled in a large range of sports, cultural events, and co-curricular activities, and was a member of the School cricket team.
After passing out from School in 1969, he went on to do a BA (Honours) from Punjab University and an LLB from Allahabad University.
He started his career as an advocate. Subsequently, in 2004, he was appointed as the Hon'ble Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, a responsibility he held till 2014. During his tenure as a Judge, he was part of several landmark judgments. In 2016, he was appointed as the Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh. His appointment is even more significant for fact that he is the only Lokayukta in the country, appointed by none other than the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. The Hon'ble Supreme Court had considered the names of all the Judges who had retired in the previous 10 years; and from more than 300 names, found Justice Sanjay Mishra to be the most suitable candidate for this sensitive and responsible post. As a Lokayukta, he is the anti-corruption ombudsman, a statutory authority probing into cases primarily related to graft, government mismanagement and abuse of power by public servants or ministers.
As an Old Boy, efforts of Justice Mishra are commendable in the restructuring process of SOBA. He actively participates in SOBA events and encourages Old Boys to engage meaningfully with SOBA and with the School.
He commands enormous respect and trust not only in the judiciary but also in the executive and the legislature for he has always approached his duty with humility, courage, and in the spirit of service. Today, School acknowledges Justice Sanjay Mishra as an Old Boy of Eminence for his outstanding contribution as a former Judge of the High Court and as the Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh by conferring upon him the Madhav Award for 2022.

The Scindia School aspires to nurture scholars with a quest for self-exploration and societal development, imbued with courage, conviction, and confidence. Dr Punit Boolchand‘s life is an impressive timeline of these attributes spread across all his endeavors. He currently holds the coveted title of Distinguished University Research Professor of STEMM at the University of Cincinnati since 2017. STEMM title emerged from an annual competition held at UC across the faculty in the disciplines of Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine. It is the highest Research recognition the University bestows on a faculty member. Dr Boolchand joined the school in 1954 in Jayaji House and spent 07 years on campus. While in school, he was the House Prefect, and in 1961, was awarded the President’s Medal for the best boy in Academics by Dr S Radhakrishnan on Founder’s Day. He completed his M.S. (Physics) from Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1965 and then left for the US for further studies. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Case-Western Reserve University in 1969. He joined the University of Cincinnati (UC) the same year as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Physics. Over the past 52 years at UC, he has distinguished himself with a remarkable professional career in Condensed Matter Physics, with expertise in Materials Science, and has generated an impressive body of original research work widely published and recognized. He pioneered work on Topological Phases of Network Glasses in identifying their molecular structure origin. He is recognized for the discovery of a new phase of disordered condensed matter, titled, ‘The Intermediate Phase’ which is widely documented in the archival literature as the ‘Boolchand Intermediate Phase’. This led to the prestigious Stanford Ovshinsky Award to Dr Boolchand in 2003.  The theory has revolutionized glass science and technology, leading to the development of ‘Gorilla Glass’, which is used extensively in the audiovisual instrument industry such as flat screen televisions and smart mobile phones, to name a few. He was also nominated for the Oliver Buckley Prize, considered the American equivalent of the Physics Nobel Prize. Nevertheless, he has received several other awards of the same stature. We are honored and privileged to have him amongst us this evening as a stellar example of the ideals of scholarship, exquisite precision, and experimental innovation. Needless to mention, Mr J L Dar would have been very proud of the achievements of a boy whom he taught physics 60 years ago at The Scindia School! The Scindia School feels honored to confer the prestigious Madhav Award on Dr Punit Boolchand   for the year 2021 for his unflinching commitment, outstanding achievements, and enormous contribution in the field of research.

It gives us great delight and a sense of contentment to honor an Old Boy whose vision as an entrepreneur is not limited to the growth and valuation of his worldly assets; rather it extends to cultural, social, and educational aspects of community development with a spiritual sweep in everything he does.
Mr. Sanjiv Saraf studied at The Scindia School from 1969 — 75. Thereafter, he completed his bachelor's degree from the IlT, Kharagpur. In 1984, he ventured out on his own to establish Polyplex Corporation Limited. It is currently one of the world's largest producers of PET films with manufacturing plants in India, Thailand, and Turkey with markets across the USA, Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, and Australia.
His ability to take responsibility and to innovate is admirable. He is the Chairperson of two companies - SSIPL Retail Limited & the Polyplex Group and occupies a seat as a Director at a total of 18 companies. His entrepreneurial spirit continued to manifest, and he established Manupatra, which is now India's foremost legal information provider. He also forayed in renewable energy and launched hydroelectric power projects in the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim. A humanist at heart, he ensures that the best possible resources are available to the company's non-profit school with more than 1200 students.
Along with his professional engagements, he started learning the Urdu script at the age of 53 and soon realized that with little digital presence, the aura of Urdu language was depleting. He decided to preserve Urdu Zubaan along with its unique socio-cultural and literary ambience. He also decided to make the language accessible to the world at large. His brainchild, Rekhta Foundation, established in 2012 created an all-new ecosystem for the Urdu language as if introducing a new continent into literature. Rekhta Foundation has digitized more than 50,000 e-books which are now available online. Rekhta has taken Urdu Zubaan to various geographies through events like Jashn-e-Rekhta, Rang-e-Rekhta, and Shaam-e-Rekhta which have furthered the horizons of the ambitious initiative. Aamozish, and the series — Ghazal Usne Chhedi, Harf-e-Taaza, and Numaainda Kalaam, have shaped Rekhta into an oeuvre of great luminosity. For his exceptional service to one of the finest languages of the world, he has been felicitated with the Nai Duniya: Farogh-e-Urdu Award; Delhi Urdu Academy Award, and the Sir Syed Excellence Award from the Aligarh Muslim University. These awards reflect the alluring aroma of literary-inspired fragrances that he has manifested through Rekhta. We take pride in his journey, accomplishments, and for his service to Urdu Zubaan.
The Scindia School confers on Mr. Sanjiv Saraf, the Madhav Award as an Old Boy of Eminence for the year 2020 for his outstanding work through Rekhta Foundation, wherein he has explored the linguistic ingenuity at both the periphery and specificity of human creativity; and for his enormous contribution as a business leader. To sum up, for his effort to catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos.

Noted trade economist Prof Jagdish Bhagwati wrote in 2008 – “Not just for India, but for developing countries and indeed for the world, he is what the Japanese call – A Living Treasure”. The Scindia School takes pride in Mr Mehta’s stellar contribution in the field of Consumer Activism and confers on Mr Pradeep S Mehta the Madhav Award as an Old Boy of Eminence for the year 2018. His life is both an extension and expression of the education that he imbibed at The Scindia School.

The Scindia School aspires to afford the best references and stimulants for the receptive heart and mind of each student, so that the inherent splendour of each Scindian can gently waft on its own throughout his life.Today we honour one such maestro of the Indian Cinema, a man of immense creativity and talent, the nationally acclaimed Sound Designer and Recordist – Mr Hitendra Ghosh.
Hitendra Ghosh graduated from The Scindia School, Ravindra House, in 1967. In the commendation letter given by the then Principal, Mr J L Dar, it is mentioned that music was his hobby and that he was a member of the school choir and orchestra. Besides music, he was keenly interested in sports and was also a cadet in the Junior Division of the NCC Air Wing Troop.
After school, he completed a Diploma in Cinema from the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune in 1974. He chose Creative Sound Designing and Recording for cinema as his profession, where he built a stellar reputation for himself over a career spanning 40 years. His larger-than-life contribution in the above field can be gauged by the fact that he holds the unique distinction of sound-editing 3500 films, the highest by any individual in the world.
He earned the National Film Award for Best Audiography on three occasions - in 1979 for Junoon, in 1986 for Ek Pal and in 2013 for Game. He has also received various other prestigious awards like the Filmfare Award, IIFA Award and Zee Cine Award. Some of the well-known films for which he has won accolades are: Kalyug, Vijeta, Jungle, Rang De Basanti, Swadesh, Jodhaa Akbar and the list just goes on.
Dedicated, humble and exceptionally good at his work, Hitendra Ghosh is a living legend of his field. His remarkable erudition for the subtle grammar of sounds used in cinema in conjunction with the visuals, led him to contribute to the vocabulary of sound design and also to explore other creative aspects in the same field. In the contemporary milieu of commercial cinema which clamours for loud music, Hitendra never ceased to be refined, artistic and so awe-inspiringly effective.
The Scindia School confers on Mr Hitendra Ghosh the Madhav Award as an Old Boy of Eminence for the year 2017 for his unwavering commitment, outstanding achievements and enormous contribution in the field of Sound and Recording to the Indian Cinema.

Sanjeev Aga, an alumnus of The Scindia School, exemplifies in his life and work the spirit of the institution for he combined innovativeness with dedicated pursuit of excellence in the highly competitive world of telecommunications maintaining the highest ethical standards. He joined The Scindia School in Class VII at a tender age of 10 in 1962.  During his tenure he turned his experience at the School to an invigorating one by plunging into a variety of activities the school offered.  His Housemaster Mr. G K Kapoor in one of his official communications to the parents declared him the Best Boy in the House and appreciated his personality, academic performance and participation in intellectual and creative activities.    The Principal, Mr. J L Dar, wrote: ‘Sanjeev is a boy of many talents and excellent character and sense of responsibility’.  His friends, teachers and the spectacular setting of the Gwalior Fort had a lasting impression on his personality. Sanjeev took the Indian School Certificate Examination in December 1966. After The Scindia School, Sanjeev went on to St. Stephen’s College, Delhi from where he took an Honours degree In Physics, and then completed his Business Management course from IIM Kolkata. Sanjeev Aga was initiated into a career in business with his assignment for Asian Paints, which gave him a pan India exposure and set him up for what would be an illustrious career spanning over 40 years.   He went on to head the Furniture and Toys businesses of BlowPlast, now called VIP Industries, as the Managing Director from 1993 to 1998. His subsequent assignments had him serve as Managing Director of Aditya Birla Nuvo, a company with diverse businesses. Sanjeev Aga is best known for his leadership as Managing Director of Idea Cellular, a company which started from the scratch and soon emerged among the top 3 companies in a fiercely competitive sector.  The crowning glory for Sanjeev was his recognition for the sophistication of business processes and the uncommon standards of ethical conduct which accompanied such success. Honour and recognition were bestowed on him by various prestigious organisations. In 2009, Sanjeev Aga received on behalf of Idea Cellular the Economic Times Award for The Emerging Company of the Year. The Indira Innovation Summit awarded him as the CEO of the Year for 2009 and Tele.Net honoured him in 2010 for Outstanding Contribution to the Telecom Sector. Forbes Magazine, In December 2010, shortlisted Sanjeev Aga for the prestigious Indian of the Year, putting him amongst an exclusive group of business persons to be considered for the honour that year. Sanjeev Aga stepped down from formal professional commitments in 2011 but he continues to serve as an Independent Director and Advisor to reputed corporates and he advises not-for-profit organizations in a spirit of service. Sanjeev stands out among his peers for striking a rare balance between personal and professional life. It is important for him to give quality time to his family.  He takes time off to travel, to read and occasionally writes for magazines and newspapers. Today, The Scindia School acknowledges Sanjeev Aga as an Old Boy of Eminence for his exemplary acumen in corporate business world and for deep commitment to ethical practices, by conferring upon him the Madhav Award 2014.