Scouting
Scouting is now 50 million strong globally and more than 3.7 million Bharat Scouts and Guides who are part of the third largest National Scout Organization in the world are working to address the most pressing social, economic and environmental challenges facing our people and planet. The purpose of education is not only to impart knowledge but also to prepare the enrolled students for the larger task of nation building. In India today, National Cadet Corps – NCC, National Service Scheme – NSS and Bharat Scouts and Guides – BSG are some of the options to prepare youth of today for becoming leaders of tomorrow.
The power of scouting is that it equips and empowers young people with the necessary life skills and leadership abilities to play an active role in society. Though the movement started in 1907 in England and also in India for boys and later extended to girls in 1910, it was restricted to European and Anglo Indian children only. As the Scout Movement was not initially open to the Indian boys, Nationalist leaders of India decided to offer Scouting activities to Indian Boys and Sewa Samiti Scout Association was formed with Headquarters in Allahabad by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and othes.
The unification of various scouts movements spread over India happened only on 07 Nov 1950 to form the formidable Bharat Scouts and Guides and the girls units joined same on 15 Aug 1951. The vision statement for BSG states that by 2024, The Bharat Scouts & Guides will be a globally visible, consistently growing, self-reliant premium youth movement that is gender balanced, vibrant and responsive to trends, Providing young people with value-based, attractive and challenging youth programme, through competent leaders, effective communication, optimum use of technology and efficient management.
In recent times, more and more schools have been joining the BSG movement since its training method is based on learning by doing and games. Smt. Jamuna Mishra Academy (JMA) established in the year 2004 is presently one of the most sought after schools at Pilani considered as Oasis in the desert state of Rajasthan. With excellent results year after year in Board of Secondary Education Rajasthan RBSE Class X and Class 12, it is a matter of great pride that JMA Pilani is referred popularly as The School with 100% Results.
Alumni of JMA Pilani are pursuing higher education in various institutions which include Birla Institute of Technology and Science BITS Pilani which is one of the Institutions of Eminence and Banasthali Vidyapith which is in various Quacquarelli Symonds QS Rankings. JMA has been hosting 1RAJ(I)COY NCC (JD) Troop No 23/2 which presently has 50 cadets which includes 35 boys and 15 girls. This session on 04 Apr 2019 JMA took a conscious decision to join the BSG and two teachers from the school namely Shri Jaipal in May 2019 and Smt Rambha Kumari in Aug 2019 underwent 8 days training at Jhunjhunu and Bikaner respectively.
The announcement by Principal Mrs Booma Natarajan for launching Bharat Scouts and Guides at JMA Pilani was enthusiastically welcomed by the students and indeed a matter of great pride that immediately 25 boys and girls enrolled for same. There is no doubt that whole lot of exciting things which include community services, first aid, camping, adventure, Coastal / Desert / Himalayan Trekking, skill development, disaster preparedness, sky watch, star gazing etc are ahead for scouts and guides at JMA Pilani.