Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' Public School - History

History

The school was founded on August 12, 1943 and is affectionately known as MGD.

In the summer of 1940, the Maharaja of Jaipur, His Highness Sir Sawai Man Singhji Bahadur brought home Princess Ayesha Gayatri Devi, of Cooch Behar, as his bride. She was the daughter of the Late Maharaja and Late Maharani Indira Deviji, of Cooch Behar. Her maternal grandfather, His Highness Siyaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda, was a pioneer in the field of education, specially of women, as far back as 150 years ago.

Educated in England, Switzerland, and Shantiniketan, and widely travelled, what she saw of the lives of the court ladies and their young daughters disturbed her. Their cloistered existence confined to the isolation of their own ‘havelies’ and mansions. The only change they could expect was, on marriage, to go to another ‘haveli’, another mansion and adjust to another family. The ladies moved around town, if at all, in heavily curtained cars and carriages. They had no idea or glimpse of the world outside.

His Highness, the Maharaja Sahib was concerned that girls' education was one field in which Jaipur was far behind other states and provinces in India. So he asked Her Highness what could be done to get the women out of the shackles of the ‘purdah’ "Give me a school and I will try", she said, “Once the girls go to a school there will be no ‘purdah’ in a few years'”. His Highness summoned his Prime Minister Sir Mirza Ismail, and the Education and Finance Minister, Rao Bahadur Amarnath Atal, and the order to allot land and plans ready for the school building was given. The foundation of Maharani Gayatri Devi School was laid.

The school started with 24 girls and Ms. Lilian G. Lutter as Principal on the lines of the British Public School Pattern.

It was the first girls' public school to be accepted as a member of the Public School Council of India' Conference (I.P.S.C.). In 1950, M.G.D. became a Center for the Cambridge Examination for Jaipur. In 1962 the school shifted to the Indian School Certificate Board.

The school follows the Central Board for Secondary EducationCBSE curriculum. The founder principal of the school was Ms. L.G. Lutter. The principal of the school is Mrs. Suniti Sharma. The school completed 60 years of its existence in 2003 which was marked with the felicitation ceremony of the founder, her highness Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. Shiv Kumari of Kotah is vice president of the school.

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