Marico Limited’s Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala hosted the National Word Power Championship for government school students

Mumbai : Marico Limited’s Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala(NSPF) concluded its fourth edition of  National  ‘Word Power Championship’  in association with Leap for word in Mumbai. The all-India competition saw more than 8.9 lakh students and over 2 Lakh teachers representing vernacular government schools across states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. After qualifying multiple rounds of selection at the cluster, block, district & state level, 23 students from states across grades had reached the grand finals of this inter-state competition. Podium finishes went to 5 states – Maharashtra (3), Bihar (3), Jharkhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (2), TamilNadu (1).

The Word Power championship finale had four rounds on reading, writing, spelling & meaning, and vocabulary from finalists across Class 2, 3, 4, and 5. The difficulty level of the questions progressively increased with every round until it became truly national level worthy in the grand finals. Example of some words that the children spelt were: Grade 2 (Reticent, Implicit, Elastic, Nostril), Grade 3 (Ostensible, Impression, Candidature, Substantial), Grade 4 (Literature, Amphibious, Monotonous, Influential), Grade 5 (Gravitational, Opportunistic, Optimistically, Meritorious).

The following students won the championship and details of runner-up winners have been enclosed

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• Grade 2: Ishan Kale from ZPPS DHANORA, Jalna district, Maharashtra
• Grade 3: Viraj Khamkar from ZPPS TULAPUR, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
• Grade 4: Md. Shayan Sarfaraz from URDU PS JHITKIYA, Madhepura, Bihar
• Grade 5: Manisha Y from PUPS AZHINJIVAKKAM, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

The most exciting reward planned for all the winners and runner-up students from each grade was a charter plane ride, offering a thrilling tour of the coastal city, Mumbai.  Teachers of all the first prize winners were also invited for this life-time experience.

Additionally, the winners received a gold medal, certificate, trolley bag, sports kit, 2 sets of sportswear along with an exclusive hamper from Marico Limited. While their teachers received a gold medal, trolley bag and the Marico Hamper.

The runners up received a silver medal, along with certificate, 2 sets of sportswear and hamper with products from Marico Limited. Their teachers received a silver medal, trolley bag and the Marico Hamper.

All other students who made it to the finale also received goodies in the form of sportswear (2 sets) and a gift hamper from Marico Limited.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer & Group General Counsel and Secretary, CSR Committee, Marico Limited said, “Over the last few years, Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala has created a positive change in the lives of students by providing them with access to quality education and innovative learning solutions. We are immensely proud to witness the success and scale of the event this year. We are truly grateful for the support extended by all stakeholders, right from parents, teachers, organising team, and state government and were thrilled to witness the enthusiasm of the students across regions.  This championship is a testament to our commitment to providing young learners with the tools and resources they need to excel in their education and beyond. We believe that language proficiency is a critical skill that can help students succeed in their academic and professional lives, and we are proud to witness the fruits of our effort through this event.”

The first-of-its-kind competition with government schools across states has helped students gain confidence in the English language. Further, the Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala program has helped them to significantly improve their command of the language.

The Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala initiative, which was launched in 2012 to further the cause of bettering children’s education, has so far impacted 4.17 lakh students and reached 2.89 lakh teachers. With this initiative, Marico Limited aims to make 10 lakh children literate and proficient in language by 2025.

The event was graced by eminent personalities such as;

• Dhanraju S, Director Education, of Rajya Shiksha Kendra, Madhya Pradesh  (IAS),
• Dr. Sanjay Patwa (Joint Director RSK)
• Dr. Ravindra Tripathi (Controller RSK)
• Mr. Shekar Sarathe (MIS Coordinator),
• Mr. Ashok Vyas (Controller RSK),
• Mr. Sourabh Jain (Progam Manager, The Education Alliance),
• Dr. Surendra Kumar (Language Head – SCERT Bihar),
• Mr. Shashikant Shanbhag (Founding team member- Galaxy Surfactants)
• Dr. Venkat Shedke (Head of Technical services- Kemin)
• Ms. Jyoti Wadmare (Program Director – Vibha India)

Details of winners and runner up students are as follows: