Sat Lal Razdan

Sh. Sat Lal Razdan (1924-2009), popularly called by his students as Masterji, was born on 6 June 1924, at Anantnag, Kashmir. He was one of highly revered teacher from Kashmir who shaped the character and career of many generations of students in Jammu & Kashmir. Sh. Sat Lal Razdan did his initial schooling from Mission School, Anantnag where he passed his matriculation, and was awarded ‘The Best all-round boy” by Tyndale Biscoe School in 1941. The Mission School, the forerunner of Tyndale Biscoe School, was started around 1881 by Rev.J.H. Knowles. In 1945,he graduated with distinction and majoring in science from Government College Lahore, then considered at the level of Oxford University. In 1947, he was appointed as Master in Tyndale Biscoe School, in Srinagar. Having spent around 41 years in Biscoe School, he retired as Headmaster in 1988. Sh. Sat Lal Razdan’s recognition and contribution in education sector made him selected by The British Council for a training in Scotland for a full term in 1964.

He is also known to have taught his highness Prince Charles also during his professional career.

After 1990, he was associated with DBN Vidya Mandir School for some time. In 1999, he was awarded ‘Best Teacher of the Millennium’ by the Tyndale and Mallinson Education Society. During his tenure at Tyndale Biscoe School, he taught many people who rose to high positions in the government, commerce and other sectors.^[1] In 2001, he published a book ‘Science and Spirit’ for young minds. Before the preface, one of the book page mentions “Dedicated to my dear fellow –teachers and dear old boys and girls’. The book consist of 222 pages, written in two sections. The Section-A (Spirit) covers key themes / sections on: quotations, prayer, poems of spirit. The Section-B (Science) covers key topics: scientific topics, everyday experiments, and concluding in epilogue.^[2] In 2002, he was awarded ‘Dr.Yog Prakash Award’ by Dewan Badrinath (DBN) Vidya Mandir School, Jammu.^[3]

Sh. Sat Lal Razdan died on 29 April 2009, at Jammu. In the condolence message by former Chief Minister and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said, “He was taught by Sh. Sat Lal Razdan and was a devout teacher in Tyndale Biscoe School. The void left by Masterji, as popularly known among the students, will be difficult to fill, the teachers of today should make educationalists like him their role model.” ^[4]

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