She has the power to give a thumbs up to the 1 in 200 applicants who make it in to Delhi Public School, one of the most competitive in the country. We want to educate these young people to their fullest potential. Gleaming trophies for math and science line the walls in Chona's office, in the administration building, foyers, and in an elaborate basement computer center that receives contributions of hardware and advice from Hewlett Packard.
Teachers move from class to class to limit distractions in the hallways.
Students wear green coats. But those with marks above 80 percent three years in a row wear blue coats. If their marks stay consistently high, they go on to wear blue badges, and then blue ties, as symbols of achievement. While many of the children cultivate what might be considered a counterculture attitude, they uniformly agree on the importance of study. That's not uncool.