High Commissioner of India to Singapore HE Ms Vijay Thakur Singh urges GIIS students to imbibe extraordinary diligence and determination exhibited by Dr Ambedkar, during event

In commemoration of Dr BR Ambedkar@aps@s 125^th birth anniversary, staff and students of GIIS Queenstown Campus held a special commemorative event on 14 April 2016 to pay tribute to one of India’s greatest statesmen.

Her Excellency Ms Vijay Thakur Singh, High Commissioner of India to Singapore, presided as the guest of honour. Members of Global Schools Foundation (GSF) including Executive Chairman and CEO Mr Atul Temurnikar, COO Mr Kamal Gupta, and Deputy CEO Mr Kaustubh Bodhankar, among others were present at the event.

The commemorative session started with a warm welcome for Ms Singh followed by a traditional floral tribute, which saw all participating dignitaries paying their respects to Dr Ambedkar onstage. Immediately after, Ms Singh addressed the audience by sharing more about the personal achievements of Dr Ambedkar, in addition to his lifelong dream of creating an inclusive India, which prides itself on social equality.

Her Excellency Ms Vijay Thakur Singh, High Commissioner of India to Singapore addressed students on the occasion

"Aside from being modern-day India@aps@s first law minister. Dr Ambedkar was also famous for being the principal architect of the Constitution of India. And as one of the nation@aps@s most prominent social activists, he was a known supporter of women@aps@s rights and an active campaigner against discriminatory practices targeted at his fellow countrymen belonging to the Dalit caste," explained Ms Singh to an assembly comprised mostly of attentive students.

In her speech, Ms Singh also revealed inspiring facts about Dr Ambedkar@aps@s own learning journey as a college student. "Throughout his life, Dr Ambedkar was famous for being a voracious reader. During his days at Columbia University, he had purchased over 2,000 books at the cost of curtailing his daily requirements," said Ms Singh. She also highlighted the extraordinary diligence and determination exhibited by Dr Ambedkar in the face of life@aps@s obstacles.

Following Ms Singh@aps@s insightful sharing, audience members got to learn more about Dr Ambedkar@aps@s struggles through watching a short biopic produced by esteemed theatre and film director Mr Jabbar Patel. The movie provided a peek into the institutional challenges, which Dr Ambedkar faced every day during his early years of education as a Dalit, while telling the story of his tireless efforts to uplift other members of his community.

The session successfully reinforced the overarching message of Dr Ambedkar@aps@s endeavours. For all students, this constitutes a strong reminder to strive towards mindfulness and social responsibility - a goal that can surely be achieved with the help of valuable educational initiatives, such as the Friends of Singa Kindness Movement and the school@aps@s very own Peace Curriculum.

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