Girls lead the charge in veer gatha winners

Veer Gatha competition honors gallantry award winners, inspiring 1.76 crore students through bravery tales and school band performances.

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.

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.