What’s in a name?

The name changeth to “The Punjab Public School, Nabha”

CHANGE OF NAME

No sooner had the school started than the Board of Governrors approached the Ministry of Defence for a school doctor and an N.C.O. for providing preliminary military training to the students. Late Shri Krishna Menon, the then Defence Minister, set the condition that if the school intended to continue as a Sainik School, it should be handed over to the Central Government and civilian headmaster be replaced by defence officers to act as Principal, Headmaster and Registrar, with the Principal being of the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel and the other two being Majors. Sardar Partap Singh Kairon rejected the offer of handing it over to the Central Government and the school was renamed as THE PUNJAB PUBLIC SCHOOL. As a token of regard for the Defence Minister, he magnanimously provided land for two new sainik schools in the state, at Kapurthala and Kunjpura in undivided Punjab.
(From the Chronicle)

The Punjab Public School, Nabha was conceptualised in the late fifties & was the brainchild of the revered chief minister of Punjab, the Late Sd.P.S.Kairon who was a great visionary and board members of the PWSRF Col Naunihal Singh Mann and Lt Gen Kalwant Singh.

With his patronage & unstinted efforts of Mr.J.K.Kate, the founder Headmaster, the School was inaugurated by the by the then President of India, Dr.Rajendra Prasad, in 1961. Originally named as Sainik School, Nabha, the idea & and its concept was extended nationwide by the defence minister Krishna Menon who was very impressed, leading to the establishment of a chain of Sainik Schools. Thus this school can also be referred to as the father of Sainik Schools. However, Sd. Partap Singh Kairon did not desire to loose Mr.Kate, as the Headmaster, as all serving Headmasters of Sainik Schools were to be of the rank of Major or above. He also felt Punjab Government had invested a lot in the form of buildings and money in this “Pride of Punjab”. Due to these reasons & also to maintain Nabha School’s independent character, by keeping it beyond the control of the Ministry of Defence, the school was re-christened as “The Punjab Public School”, as it is known to date. To compensate for the Defence requirements Sd.P.S.Kairon started Sainik Schools in Kapurthala & Kunjpura (in the undivided Punjab, then).

The pictures show from upper left Mr JK Kate walking with the President Dr Rajender Parsad while Governor V. Gadgil, Gen Kalwant Singh and Partap Singh Kairon walk a few steps behind, The middle picture shows the important board members Brig Gurkirpal Singh, Choudhary Raghuvender Singh, Col Naunihal Singh Mann, Gen Kalwant Singh and secretary of the Board , Headmaster Mr JK Kate. Last picture shows the great visionary Sardar Partap Singh Kairon ,CM of undivided Punjab.The lower picture shows from right Sardar Partap Singh Kairon, President Dr Rajendera Parsad, Governor of Punjab Mr.NV Gadgil, Chief f Secy ,Punjab Mangat Rai, Area Commander Brig Gurkirpal Singh, unidentified personality and Headmaster Mr JK Kate.

(Selected minutes have been taken)

Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Governors, The Sainik School, Nabha held at 12:00 noon on 19th July 1960 at Raj Bhawan, Chandigarh. The following were present

Sd/- J.K. Kate Sd/ N.V. Gadgil
Secretary Chairman