The celebrations were graced by Air Marshal Madan Manek, an alumnus of the institution, as chief guest, along with P.L. Srinivas, president of the school.
Hyderabad: It was an emotional moment when frail hands were raised during the roll call, six decades after leaving school, by the 1966 batch of Mahbub College Higher Secondary School, which offered the multipurpose course equivalent to Plus Two. Most members of the batch are now octogenarians. Alumni travelled from abroad and from different parts of the country to attend the diamond jubilee reunion.
The celebrations were graced by Air Marshal Madan Manek, an alumnus of the institution, as chief guest, along with P.L. Srinivas, president of the school. One of the most touching segments of the programme was the open mic session, during which veterans shared memories of their student days. The school was once among the top three institutions in the Secunderabad region.
Krishnaswami Ramanathan Ramana said that of the 150 students who passed out in 1966, around 80 are alive and 70 attended the reunion. “Our batch has gifted a computer lab to the school,” he said.
Recalling their student days, he said it was among the best phases of their lives. “We made efforts to stay in touch with our teachers and invited them to our meets whenever possible to honour them for shaping our careers. Our gatherings also included music quizzes, songs and riddles, with some members joining from abroad. As a group, we are involved in feeding the poor and extending support to orphanages, besides donating clothes and blankets to the needy,” he said.
Another alumnus, Boorgu Ramesh, said the present condition of the school and the declining student strength motivated the batch to work towards restoring its former glory. “We have donated teaching aids to make learning easier and are honouring six meritorious students with cash support to motivate them to perform better in board examinations, as desired by our batchmate donors,” he said.
The school, established in 1862 as the Anglo Vernacular School, received generous patronage from the Sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. It was later renamed Mahbub College to commemorate the Nizam’s accession to the throne.
