The fourth edition of veer gatha(tales of valour) competition, which aims to educate school students about the bravery and sacrifices of the country’s gallantry award winners, saw the participation of over 1.76 crore students from 2.5 lakh schools across the country. The 100 winners from them, which includes 66 girls, were felicitated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday (January 25, 2025).
At another event, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth gave away prizes to the winners of the national school band competition. One of the winning school bands from Jharkhand will be present during Republic Day while another band will be part of Beating The Retreat.
During the felicitation ceremony of veer gatha, each winner was presented with a cash prize of ₹10,000, a medal, and a certificate. These super 100 are among the approximate 10,000 special guests who will be witnessing the Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path on Sunday (January 26, 2025).
“India’s stature has grown on the global stage due to the Prime Minister’s dynamic leadership. Today, when we speak on any international forum, the whole world listens. This has been made possible due to the hard work of every Indian, including our brave soldiers, scientists and young ignited minds. We have a major young population of about 50 crore youth. How can a country with such creative minds not develop?” Mr. Singh said addressing the students.
During the event, Param Vir Chakra Awardee Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar shared his inspiring experience from the 1999 Kargil War, urging students to embody the values of bravery, selflessness and integrity in their lives. “True bravery lies not only in combat but in standing up for what is right in everyday life,” he told the young participants.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Pradhan emphasised that initiatives like veer gatha educate school students about the valour and sacrifices of the brave gallantry award winners while nurturing the creativity of young minds. He noted the record-breaking participation of 1.76 crore students from over 2.5 lakh schools who engaged in activities such as drawing, painting, and essay writing, paying heartfelt tributes to the countries gallantry awardees.
Winners of Band competition
For the national school band competition, the jury appointed by the Ministry of Defence, which included members from each of the three Services, selected the winners upon the culmination of the Grand Finale of the Competition which was held on January 24 and 25.
The first prize in Pipe Band Girls went to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Patamda, East Singhbum, Jharkhand (Eastern Zone), in Pipe Band Boys to City Montessori School, Kanpur Road Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (Northern Zone), in Brass Band Girls to Government Sr. Sec. School West Point, Gangtok, Sikkim (Eastern Zone), and in Brass Band Boys to Prince Lotus Valley Academy, Sikar, Rajasthan (Western Zone).
There are three prizes in each of the four categories and also a consolation prize. The top three teams in each category were given a cash prize (1st – ₹21,000, 2nd – ₹16,000, 3rd – ₹11,000), a trophy and a certificate. A consolation cash prize of ₹3,000/- each was given to the remaining team in each category.
The winner of Pipe Band Girls – Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Patamda, East Singhbum, Jharkhand (Eastern Zone), along with the military band team, will be performing at the rostrum on RD.
Two other bands – Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 Belagavi Cantt. Karnataka (Southern Zone) and Government Sr. Sec. School West Point, Gangtok, Sikkim (Eastern Zone) will perform at Vijay Chowk during the Beating Retreat Ceremony on January 29. From Republic Day 2023 onwards, the national school band competition is being jointly conducted by Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education.
