Axiom-4 astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla studied at world’s largest school located in…, it has over 61000 students, name is…
India’s Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history when he became first ISRO astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the second Indian to travel to space. But did you know that Shubhanshu Shukla completed his schooling at the world’s largest school, which is located right here in our own country?
Where did Shubhanshu Shukla study?
Born in Lucknow in a middle-income home to Shambhu Dayal Shukla, a retired government officer, and Asha Shukla, a homemaker, Shubhanshu Shukla studied completed his schooling at the City Montessori School– which is recognized as the world’s largest private school–in the Uttar Pradesh capital.
After his schooling, Shubhanshu Shukla cleared both National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy examinations, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the NDA in 2005, following which he was for flying training at the Indian Air Force Academy.
In June 2006, Shubhanshu was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF as a flying officer, and had risen to the rank of Group Captain by the time of the Axiom-4 mission.
Where is the ‘world’s largest school’?
The City Montessori School in Lucknow, Shubanshu Shukla’s alma mater, is regarded as the world’s largest school, boasting a total enrolment of 61,345 students across its 20 campuses, as of August 2023. The school has a staff or more than 1,000 teachers.
Established in 1959 by prominent educationist Jagdish Gandhi and his wife, Dr. Bharti Gandhi, in a single room at their modest Lucknow residence, the City Montessori School (CMS) started out with just five students and an invest of Rs 300. Later, CMS founded its first campus, now known as the Station Road Branch, and soon grew into one of India’s largest private institutions.
The City Montessori School is a co-education English medium school, and teaches all basic subjects such as Science, Mathematics, English, Hindi, Social Science and Art, from pre-primary up to Class 12. The school also a rich cultural enrichment program, teaching Indian classical music, dance, and drama to students.
Who runs the school?
In August 2023, the City Montessori School etched its name into the prestigious Guinness World Records, which recognized the institution as the world’s largest school, with an enrolment of 61,345 students.
Earlier, in 2014, the CMS society, which runs the school, was accredited by the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) as an affiliated non-governmental organization (NGO). Additionally, the CMS has been awarded the ‘Hope of Humanity’ Award from Dalai Lama, and the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education.
When did Shubhanshu Shukla fly to space?
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla reached the International Space Station (ISS) at 4.43 pm IST on June 26, 2025, as the rew Dragon capsule docked at the ISS as part of Axiom-4 mission, which was launched at 12:01 PM on June 25 when SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Launch Complex 39A.
Interestingly, this is the same site that had launched the Apollo Mission with Neil Armstrong back in the day.
The Crew Dragon capsule, with four astronauts onboard, including Shukla, docked at the ISS after a 33-hour long flight from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to a point 424km above the Earth.
News