As one walks down the meandering paths flanked by lush green foilage of sprawling campus adorned with sharp and refreshing fragrance of the dense conifer forest that fills every infinitesimal part of Pinegrove School’s air with boundless and enthusiasm one is indeed fueled by the desire to muse over the past and appreciate the distance that the school has traversed in mere three decades.
The institution which has risen from a small non-descript campus to a colossal sublime masterpiece of architectural marvel in a topographically challenging terrain is without doubts a brilliant canvas of myriad shades and hues. The humble beginning of the institution with few students and minimum facilities stands in stark contrast to its present dignity and stature. The force behind making this dream into reality by toil to stars as his motto is none other than the scholarly, accomplished and visionary entrepreneur, the Founder Headmaster and Executive Director of Pinegrove School, Capt. Amarjyot Singh whose unwavering commitment to excellence has propelled the school to great heights.
An alumnus of The Lawrence School, Sanawar, National Defence Academy (NDA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU), Punjab University, MDU Rohtak and College of Materials Management, Jabalpur, Capt. Singh is also the Director of St Soldier`s School, Sector 16 Panchkula (+2 CBSE) and has been instrumental in the qualitative and progressive transformation of the school as one of the most prestigious and successful day schools in the city.
Capt. Singh, Vice President of the Boarding Schools Association of India, has been Chairman of the prestigious Indian Public Schools’ Conference. He has also been nominated on the Board of Governors of the CBSE. Past President of the Rotary Club of Kasauli, Capt. Singh is a Life Member of the Indian Red Cross Society and is widely travelled in India and abroad. Capt. Aj Singh is an ingenious artist, prolific orator, keen sportsman and earnest social worker.
The second generation officer Capt Aj Singh was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1982 and prematurely resigned his commission in 1987, to dedicate himself and work wholeheartedly for the noble cause of serving the society by providing high-quality education.
His father Late Wg. Cdr. S.S. Gyani, the Founder and Director of St Soldier’s School, Panchkula, an eminent and progressive educationist, was instrumental in introducing him to the field of education and instilling in him that education is the best service one can do for mankind, wherein one gets the opportunity to nurture and shape the heart, mind and soul of the students and mould them into Good, Great and Godly individuals. Switching from a completely divergent profession was not easy. Four years in a day-school was when he decided that his calling was a residential school. The genesis and the growth of Pinegrove School into an ebullient Ray of light, is a long and eventful one.
Established in 1991 as a co-educational, purely residential, English medium public school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Delhi, up to Senior Secondary Level, Pinegrove’s journey began with a handful of dreams and aspirations and in three decades it has truly transformed itself into a Cradle of Leadership.
Within its hallowed halls guided by the wise wizards the students have embarked on wondrous journey of discovery and delved into the realms of literature, mathematics and art, unlocking the secrets of universe.
Capt. Aj Singh has played a pivotal role in shaping the Pinegrove’s vision, mission and strategic direction. Under his leadership, the school has witnessed remarkable growth and development, both academically and infrastructural. The estate which was initially spread over 2.5 acres now boasts of huge sprawling campus of 25 acres. Pinegrove School at the outset was started from classes Nursery to IV on ‘No Profit No Loss’ basis on 4th Mar 1991. Since its inception the growth in terms of admissions along with increase in the manpower has been exponential. The present strength of students is almost 45 times the initial figure of 18 students and is supported by a well qualified and experienced team of approx. 1200 resident staff.
Owing to the managerial acumen and the vision of Capt Aj Singh within three years of its existence this co-educational and purely residential institution was granted affiliation by the CBSE in November 1993.
Pinegrove School, Subathu situated along the banks of a perennial brook that heightens the serenity of the campus and the gurgling of cascading waters along with the veritable chirpings of the avian species creates a melodious symphony in the exotic valley of Kuthar was established in 1997 with the sole purpose of providing better facilities, infrastructure and extra individual attention to the students.
Apart from the initial teething issues there has been no looking back since then and the years that rolled by saw both the branches go from strength to strength. From its humble beginning with just two buildings, the school boasts of being handicap friendly, wi-fi enabled, having smart-classrooms with hybrid capability, well-equipped Science Laboratories, tastefully designed dormitories, multiple floodlit playfields and oval shaped Cricket Stadium along with a magnificent Indoor Multi-Sports Complex. The school has a state-of-the-art auditorium, Music & Dance Departments and Art & Sculpture Studios to nurture and hone students’ performing arts and craft intelligences, just to name a few.
The future was never foreseen. But, as it is said fate is matter of choice not of a chance. The infrastructural development speaks volumes about the vision with which the school was established and with each passing day it continues to gather momentum. Pinegrove has been ranked as the No. 1 Best Co-Ed Boarding School in Himachal Pradesh and in India by the Education World India School Rankings 2023-24 and the school has remained in the top 5 position for many years. Pinegrove School has also been ranked No.1 in India under the Category –Boarding School - Parameter Wise for ‘Future-Proof Learning Infrastructure and No. 1 among CBSE Schools and Most Reputed School in Himachal Pradesh by the Education Today magazine as well.
In a world where knowledge is a mouse-click away, Capt Aj Singh has always believed that the role of educator must change too. Keeping pace with this progressive outlook, Pinegrove has adapted, adopted and redefined the learning methodologies and has introduced innovative teaching methodologies like and implemented best practices to ensure that students receive a well-rounded and future-ready education all the while promoting numerous sustainable initiatives by becoming a Zero-Waste School and grooming children to be environmentally conscious. The efforts were acknowledged when the school was felicitated with Certificates of Gratitude and Certificate of Appreciation by HIMCOSTE, DDEE-Solan, Wipro Foundation and Eco Vigyan Foundation for submitting a project report on ‘Sustainability and Waste Management’ in the year2023 which is another significant achievement of establishing best practices and innovation.
Keeping in tandem with the school's philosophy of “We aspire to inspire...” the curriculum has been redesigned and a five-day week teaching model with an activity-based curriculum for Saturdays and Sundays for children up to Class 10 has been introduced to enhance students overall personality. Co-curricular activities, community service initiatives, adventure sports expeditions and international-cultural exchange programmes have been woven into the very fabric the school’s curriculum with the purpose of instilling camaraderie, empathy, compassion, and leadership skills among students. In addition to achieving academic excellence, time tested in-house structured character education programs have been implemented under Capt. Singh’s stewardship like Affirmative Measures & Diamond Star that ensure that students understand the consequences of their actions and inculcate values like honesty, responsibility, respect, compassion, self-assessment and peer evaluation as these help one to navigate moral challenges and develop a sense of self-awareness in the long run.
Pinegrove School was entrusted with the responsibility of providing care and education to 4 orphans of Himachal Pradesh on 100% scholarship under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Sukh Aashray Yojna’ in its maiden year (2024), which speaks volumes about the Executive Director Capt. Aj Singh’s deep commitment towards making public education more diverse and inclusive. Capt. Aj Singh has also taken the initiative of enrolling two bright girls from the government schools in the Solan District with 100 percent scholarships every year since 2016. It’s noteworthy that under his competent leadership since 2010 the Govt. of Sikkim has regularly sponsored bright and capable children of their State for education in the School under “The Hon’ble Chief Minister’s Scholarship Programme”.
Keeping in tandem with his progressive credentials, Capt Aj Singh has taken initiatives in establishing long term relationships with national and inter-national institutions to provide maximum exposure to its students and teachers keeping them abreast with latest trends in pedagogy. The Subathu branch became a part of the NCC in 2003 and the Dharampur wing was taken into the fold in 2016 with the aim to instill in students a pride for their uniform and implicit obedience to orders. Another leaf in the history of PGS was added when it became a member of the prestigious IPSC (Indian Public Schools’ Conference) in 2005 and was accredited with ISO 9001:2008 certification and IAYP (International Awards for Young People, popularly known as the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme) in 2006 and Round Square Global membership in 2014.
Pinegrove’s growth in the education circles of the country has been unparalleled and speaks volumes about leadership style of Capt. Aj Singh's which is characterized by his approachability, empathy and commitment to the well-being of students, faculty and staff alike. He actively engages with all the stakeholders, has truly invested in building a feedback system and fostered a culture of collaboration and teamwork. His open-door policy encourages dialogue, innovation, and continuous improvement, ensuring that Pinegrove remains at the forefront of educational excellence. His ability to nurture healthy inter-personal relationships has helped the School in building a highly motivated, committed and self-disciplined team that exudes a sense of accountability, integrity and ownership.
In the words of Capt Aj Singh, “In the overall ambit of life, a person armed with a good education is bestowed with an advantage in the quest for success. Whether it is a girl or boy, a “worthwhile” education is the most valuable present a parent can gift a child. Compared to a day school, boarding schools are far luckier to have the time, inclination and infrastructure to do a lot more in the direction of all-round development. Children get ample opportunities to learn a lot more than just academics. A rigorous routine of physical training, sports, games, hobbies and other co-curricular activities keep students extremely occupied. This well-knit schedule of activities adds to the personality development and smartness of the child and undoubtedly brings them much closer to having acquired an exemplary education.”
In recognition of his valuable services to the community as an educationist of outstanding merit, Capt. Aj Singh has been felicitated with the 'National Award for Excellence in the Field of Education' by the Parent Teacher Association of India, ‘North India’s Top Edupreneur’ by Times Group in recognition of his contribution in spreading the Light of Education and Certificate of Excellence for being one of ‘Top Principals of the Country’ by the illustrious Education World and Education Today Magazines.