Sambhota Tibetan School, Shimla

The Central School for Tibetans, Shimla formerly known as Tibetan Refugee School Shimla, came into being in early 1962's under the leadership of Principal Shri Sonam Topjor Tethong. When the strength of Mussoorie and Dharamsala School exceeded their intake capacity and the need for another school for Tibetan refugee children was urgently felt. When the officials deputed from Dharamsala came to Shimla in search of a good campus for school, they came across a huge colonial building called “Torrentium Cottage” with a small class room block and a playground which then used to house the junior section of Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. After negotiations and agreement was signed on December 1, 1962 between the Representative of H. H. the Dalai Lama and the Governing Body of Bishop Cotton School by which the whole property was to be initially rented and ultimately purchased. Shri Sonam Topjor Tethong, the first Principal and his assistants had made the necessary arrangements when the first batch of 160 students arrived from Dharamsala Nursery. Later on, from time to time more students joined the school. The school was taken over by CTSA, which as erstwhile called Tibetan Schools’ Society (TSS). In the later part of 1964, the school campus was further extended with the purchase of the adjoining building, out-houses and a Tennis Court known as “Villa Torrents”. It was done during the tenure of Pt. Shyam Narayan, the first Secretary of CTSA. The school progressed day by day. With the arrival of more and more children the existing accommodation was proving to be inadequate. So, at one time, a branch school was opened at Earls field near St. Bedes' College, Shimla. In 1973, the first batch of Higher Secondary School (Class XI) was groomed to appear in the All India Board Examination from this school and the batch fared quite well and paved the way for the next batch. But when the second batch was all set to sit for the examination they were sent to Mussoorie to expand the strength of that school. In 1975, the second and the last group of Higher Secondary students in the old pattern of education took their board examination from this school. It was the year when the new education system of 10+2+3 was introduced as a result of which three out of four residential schools were turned into Senior Secondary (+2) schools. CST Shimla, however, remained Secondary schools (Class X) due to lack of infrastructure facilities. On October 27, 1983, the main Torrentium building which housed the girls' hostel and junior boys' hostel was gutted in a fire accident due to electric short circuit. Fortunately, no loss of life occurred in the accident although it was a major fire during odd hours. Since then, a hostel building with an intake capacity of 350 children, a class room block and a Library block have been constructed during the tenure of Shri. S.P. Datta, the incumbent Secretary of CTSA. The school was upgraded to Senior Secondary level in the year 1987. As of now, the school has around 344 students out of whom 86 are boarders and the rest are day-scholars. It has become one of the premier learning institutions for Tibetan refugee children. The product of this school has now assumed prestigious post in the Tibetan Exile Government hierarchy. On 07 September 2021, Sikyong Penpa Tsering accompanied by Education Secretary Jigme Namgyal and Director Tsering Dhondup of Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society (STSS) visited CST Shimla as a part of ongoing official visit to the five CTSA schools that were yet to be transferred to the education department’s Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society (STSS). Sikyong said that he had gone through all of the background papers related to when the CTSA schools first began transitioning in 2013. Sikyong emphasized the critical need for the transition after analyzing the situation of Tibetan schools, particularly those under the CTSA. He stated that the purpose of his visit was to assess the then situation of the five remaining CTSA schools as well as to meet with the concerned employees to learn about their viewpoints and suggestions. Sikyong also announced that he would meet with CTSA officials and the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education in Delhi to discuss the procedures for the transfer of six schools, including CST Mussoorie, CST Shimla, CST Dalhousie, CST Kalimpong, CST Darjeeling, and CST Herbertpur, in the coming weeks. The decision to transfer these schools was hailed as a positive step by the Education Secretary, CTA who added that aside from a change in administration, the schools’ quality of education would not be jeopardized. On 23 December 2021, the Central School for Tibetans, Shimla was officially transferred to the Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society, Dharamsala. At present, Sambhota Tibetan School Shimla has around 301 students. 50 of them are boarders in the schoolhostel and they are either Tibetan or Himalayan students.