Sanjay Kumar attends the Grand Finalé of National School Band Competition 2023-24

Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Shri Sanjay Kumar, attended the Grand Finalé of the National School Band Competition 2023-24 as part of Republic Day Celebrations, 2024 today at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi. The two-day event was organized by the Ministry of Education in association with the Ministry of Defence. Additional Secretaries, Ministry of Education, Shri Vipin Kumar and Shri AnandRao Vishnu Patil; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr.AmarpreetDuggal and other senior officials from the Ministries of Education and Defence, dignitaries, and students were also present at the event.

Shri Sanjay Kumar, while speaking at the occasion applauded the spectacular performance, confidence and discipline of the students who participated in the competition. He expected that in the next editions, the event will expand with increased participation.

The competition was held in four categories: Boys Brass Band, Girls Brass Band, Boys Pipe Band and Girls Pipe Band.Droupadi Girls High School, Odisha, received the first prize in Pipe Band Girls; St. Teresa’s Higher Secondary School, Kannur, Kerala, received the first prize in Brass Band Girls; Govt. Sr. Secondary School, West Point, Gangtok, Sikkim, received the first prize in Brass Band Boys; and PM SHRI School JawaharNavodayaVidyalaya, Rajasthan, received the first prize in Pipe Band Boys.

The top three teams in each category received a cash prize (1st – Rs. 21,000; 2nd – Rs. 16,000; 3rd – Rs. 11,000), a trophy, and certificates. Consolation cash prizes of Rs. 3,000 each were given to the remaining team in each category.

This year 16 bands, four from each zone (East, West, South and North), from 15 States/UTs with 457 children were shortlisted for the final through State- and Zonal-level competitions. Four hundred and eighty-six teams comprising 12,857 children participated in State-Level Competition; while at the Zonal Level, 73 teams comprising 2,002 children took part. This initiative aims to rejuvenate the spirit of patriotism and unity amongst children in schools throughout the country and motivate them on the path of holistic education.

In addition to the participating teams, there was a special band performance by the school band team from Government Sardar Patel Senior Secondary School, Kalpeni, Lakshadweep.