Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat

Mumbai based Narsee Monjee Educational Trust today announced opening of their first campus outside Mumbai at GIFT City Gujarat in Gandhinagar. The campus was to be inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister in presence of Maharashstra Chief Minister on May 14. As both Chief Ministers are scheduled to visit China with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the inauguration will take place in presence of Minister of State, Higher Education Vasuben Trivedi.

“We are the first operational partner of India’s first Smart City,” said Sujay Jayraj, Trustee of Narsee Monjee Educational Trust, Mumbai speaking to media persons today in Ahmedabad.

He added that Jamnabai Narsee school will be operational from new academic year in June 2015 covering nursery to sixth standard with proposed ICSE and IGCSE syllabus. Classes above standard 6th will be added later on.

He said the school has latest technology, quality infrastructure and unique circular design. It is standing over 1,60,000 sq ft area. The school has already given admission to 300 students. At its full capacity it will admit 2,000 students upto standard 12. Narsee Monjee in Mumbai is well-known for its sports activities and infrastructure. Similarly, GIFT city based school has 2 acre play ground.

Speaking to media persons Managing Trustee of Narsee Monjee Educational Trust Shri Jayraj C Thacker said, “we intend to offer global level educational programmes. We aim for combination of modern academic excellence and cultural experience. We have created rich history in educational field in Mumbai, now we want to sow seeds of knowledge at our place of origin which is Gujarat.”

The school according to Jayraj Thacker will be English medium, but will give importance to other languages like Gujarati and Hindi too.

Thacker said, “3 years back we applied for GIFT city initiative. About 200 schools from across the country had applied for same. Technical team of GIFT city visited various schools for scrutiny and selection and after one year process they invited us. We performed Puja and ground breaking ceremony on 15 August 2013 and started construction work from November 2013. Formal announcement was made on 26 November 2014. The school is ready to start its first academic year from June 2015.”

“Our experience with GIFT city has been hassle free and extremely smooth, ” he added.

Replying to questions asked by media persons, Jayrajbhai said, “the investment in this project is around Rs 45-50 crore.”

In reply to another question he said that the students will mainly come from Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The school timing will be 8.30 am to 3.00 pm for primary and pre-primary and 8.30 am to 3.00 pm for secondary students. Fees will be in range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 annually. Bus service contract are finalized for transportation of students.

At present ICSE course has been considered but in future introduction of IC (Cambridge affiliated) can also be planned, he said in reply to other question.

In reply, Sujay Jayraj said, “GIFT city will have residential facility for 25,000 persons. Considering this fact, we have made provision to add two more floor to existing building in presence. We expanded in Mumbai in same way.”

The school will have variety of activities including Indian and Western Music(including Western Classical), dances, creativity center. art craft, theater, aeromodelling, art grade exam and more. Each classroom will have projector and screen. The campus will be a digital campus with indoor and outdoor sports facilities.

Narsee Monjee Educational Trust was founded in 1960. Jayrajbhai said his father and uncles were the first donors for college of commerce and economics and for Narsee Monjee Management school. In early 1980s, the trust opened Smruti school for hearing impade. In 1971, a school in Juhu Vile Parle in Mumbai was started. In Mumbai school there are 4,800 students from Nursery to class 12.

Sujaybhai said, Gujarat is first stop for Narsee Monjee outside Mumbai as the trust doesn’t want to expand in franchisee model style, because it may affect the quality of education that is attached to Narsee Monjee.

– DeshGujarat