 | |
| Abbreviation | DSOBS |
|---|---|
| Established | 1939 |
| Type | Alumni association |
| Legal status | Non-profit organization |
| Location |
|
Members | c. 5,000 |
President | Sameer Dingra |
Vice President | Junaid Altaf |
| Affiliations | Indian Public Schools' Society |
| Website | dsobs |
The Doon School Old Boys' Society (informally DSOBS) is the alumni society of The Doon School, an all-boys boarding school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, founded in 1935.[1][2] It is considered to be among the most influential old boys' networks in India, with its alumni including a former Indian prime minister, politicians, diplomats, officers of the defence forces, writers and artists.[3][4][5] The first president of the society was the Englishman Arthur Foot, who was the first headmaster at Doon.[6] Alumni of the school are known as Doscos and after graduating gain life-membership to the society.
In the media, it has often been described as "elitist", and in 1985 the Washington Post reported: "[It] raises the question of who should run India, and whether it is healthy that a minuscule elite exerts such influence on a democracy whose founders were determined to break from its caste-ridden, imperialist past."[7] In another report in The New York Times, Steven Weisman wrote: "Not surprisingly, Doon School people are sensitive to criticism that they are sharpening the worst tendencies in a country long burdened by caste and social hierarchies." This was followed by a quote from Ajit Narain Haksar, an old boy, who stated: "We are not an elite in the conniving sense...Merit is still the basic criterion."[8]
- ^ Steven R. Weisman, Special To the New York Times (12 November 1985). "India'S Old School Tie: Harrow By The Himalayas - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ Jaiswal, Kamya (5 September 2011). "Doon School: Old boys' clubs of Doon School, IITs, IIMs, Harvard and others mean more than just databases - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ Raghavan, Anita (4 June 2006). "The Andover of India? Graduates From Doon Score Top U.S. Jobs". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
- ^ Bumiller, Elisabeth (24 November 1985). "Where India's Elite Were Boys Together". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ "How the most influential alumni network in India Inc works". The Economic Times. 5 November 2010.
- ^ "Doon School is popular for building an 'aristocracy of service' - Academy - DNA". Dnaindia.com. 5 June 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
- ^ Bumiller, Elisabeth (24 November 1985). "Where India's Elite Were Boys Together" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^ Weisman, Steven R.; Times, Special To the New York (12 November 1985). "India's Old School Tie: Harrow by the Himalayas". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.