AJMER (AFP)
India's Mayo College, a school once reserved for princes, has become a hub of education for the elite in the country.
Nicknamed the "Eton of the East" and modelled after England's elite boarding schools, Mayo was founded by the British viceroy, the Earl of Mayo, with the aim of fostering relations between Indian royalty and London.
The school's first student was the son of the Maharajah of Alwar, who arrived in 1875 with pomp, seated in a palanquin and accompanied by 300 servants. Today, among its 850 students aged nine to 18, only a few are descendants of royalty. They have been succeeded by the scions of ministers, business magnates, diplomats, and senior army officers.
“We try to preserve a certain tradition of the past,” said Saurav Sinha, principal of the school in Rajasthan's Ajmer.
"But only to the extent it enriches our culture, and lets our students remember who they are, and where they come from."
Tuition fees run up to a hefty $11,500 a year, placing Mayo among a rarefied dozen elite boarding schools in India.
Although the strict military discipline that built Mayo's reputation still prevails, recent years have seen greater emphasis on student well-being and self-confidence.
Headmaster Sinha balances "immense respect for the heritage" with a resolution to keep the school "resolutely forward-looking and adapted to a rapidly changing world."
The 76-hectare campus is an oasis of ancient trees and lush lawns -- a striking sight in Rajasthan's desert.
Before classes begin, students wearing white shirts and navy blazers gather for morning assembly, where they say prayers and discuss current events.
The curriculum, taught in English, is broad: science, foreign languages, literature, international relations, art and music.
Afternoons are reserved for sports. Mayo offers around 20 disciplines -- from polo and golf to swimming, shooting and tennis. Football has recently overtaken cricket as the campus favourite.
The facilities are exceptional: an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course, and stables housing 60 horses.
A third of students plan to study abroad - in Britain, Australia, or the United States. Many want to contribute to India's prosperity.
