Mayo College in Ajmer

Mayo College

One of the India's best known public schools, and a center developed to provide western education to Indian Princes. The College is model Enton and Harrow and is a fine Institution
The origin of Mayo College, one of the oldest Public Schools in the country, dates back to 1869, when Lt. Col. F.K.M. Walter, the Political Agent of the Bharatpur. Agency recommended a school in India "for a large number of pupils, with a staff thoroughly educated- not mere bookworms, but men fond of field sports and outdoor exercise.In 1870, Lord Mayo, the then Viceroy and Governor General, came to Ajmer, where in a Darbar, before the Chiefs of the ruling Princes of Rajputana, he expressed his desire to set up a 'Raj Kumar College' in Ajmer, "devoted exclusively to the education of the sons of Chiefs, Princes and leading Thakurs It is interesting to point out that several generations of the descendents of many present at that darbar have since continued to study at Mayo College The College was opened in October 1875, with Sir Oliver St. John as the first Principal and one boy, Maharaja Mangal Singh of Alwar. The Main Building was completed in 1885 and was designed by Major Mant. Mr. Stow who was the Principal from 1931-1943 brought some of the greatest changes in the school about. In the same year, the Viceroy ceased to be the President of the General Council. This body was in future presided over by a ruling Prince elected by the council. Today, students from all walks of life, study in this prestigious school and make complete use of the many facilities offered.

Introduction:
The Mayo College, Ajmer is also called the "Eton Of India" form the time it was founded. The college is managed by the Board of Governors and is run by the Principal. The Principal is assisted by his academic and administrative staff.
The academic year or session of the college is from July to April. The session is divided into two terms. The two terms are:

Autumn Term :- from the middle of July to early December.

Spring Term :- from the middle of January to the end of April/beginning of May.

The college organizes a lot of educational trips, sight seeing tours, camps, expeditions, treks and much more in the middle of the first term.

History of Mayo College Ajmer:
Mayo College, Ajmer was founded by Richard Southwell Brouke. For the construction of the Mayo College several designs were submitted in Indo-Saracenic, Grecian and Kolhapur styles by different engineers, but finally Major Mant's Indo-Saracenic design was adopted by the Viceroy in June 1875.
The construction of the college began in the year 1877 and was ultimately completed in the year 1885 and the cost of construction went up to Rs. 3.28 lakhs. From then onwards Major Mant's design became well known as a classic symbol of Indo-Saracenic architecture and also became a very important part of the courses and is quoted in the architectural courses even today.
The first student of Mayo College in Ajmer, India was H.H Maharaja Mangal Singh of Alwar.

Description of Mayo College Ajmer:
The pastoral head of each house in the Mayo College, Rajasthan is the house master, who is assisted by the assistant house masters, house tutors and matrons. The college prepares the students for class ten and class twelve exams which is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi. The courses offered include science, commerce and humanities.
The campus life is quite interesting for students. The college provides the students with a proper and structured educational as well as a distinctive co-curricular programme, which helps in the development of both the mind and body of the students.

Mayo College, Ajmer possesses a large museum. The college museum contains assorted items that are related to varied and diverse areas of learning and knowledge. The museum also showcases priceless pieces of antiques and also has an armoury section. The college museum is known to be the best museum amongst all the college museums in the world.

IT IS a school that was designed to make British gentlemen out of Indian princes. Years after its first student, Maharaja Mangal Singh of Alwar, rode into the campus on an elephant in 1875, Mayo College in Ajmer still retains the quality to attract the crème de la crème of India. Today however, the school is not looking for princes to turn into Englishmen. It seeks to impart excellence in academics as well as sports to boys with potential.
Founded by Richard Southwell Bourke, The Earl of Mayo who was a Viceroy of India from 1868 to 1872, the school is regal in its reputation as well as its Victorian architecture. This residential school sprawls over 300 acres and caters to boys from class 4 to class 12. The boys are housed in eleven houses named after the princely houses of Rajasthan. Some are named after the luminaries of Rajput tradition and one after the Ruler of Oman. The uniform is a comfortable ensemble of shorts or trousers paired with shirts. The blazers, when used, are emblazoned with the school's emblem designed by Mr Lockwood Kipling, a former principal of the School Of Arts, Lahore, probably better known as the father of Rudyard Kipling.

Mayo College is one of the finest schools for boys in India but to get into this iridescent marble bastion, one needs to be, so to speak, a `cut' above the rest! Even though brothers of present students, children of Old Boys and seniority of registration are given preference as in many such schools, admissions to Mayo College are made on the basis of the Indian Public Schools' Conference (IPSC) entrance tests in English, Mathematics and Hindi conducted in the 3rd or 4th week of November every year at various centres in India.
To take the test for getting admitted to class 4, the child should have passed Class 3. It's wise to start applying now because by August, parents are notified if the child will be permitted to take the entrance test. Like many schools of this kind, boys are not considered for admission after the ninth standard.