On October 9, the West Point SSS Ground hosted the State Level Inter School Band Competition for 2024, which was coordinated by the Education Department’s State Project Office of Samagra Shiksha. The competition is a component of a wider event that takes place at state, zonal, and national levels. Winners of the state competition will advance to the zonal competition, which will then lead to the national competition, which is set to take place on January 26 on the eve of Republic Day at the War Memorial in New Delhi. Raju Basnet, the chief guest at the ceremony, was the Minister of Education, Sports & Youth Affairs, Law & Parliamentary Affairs.
Eleven Sikkim schools participated in the band competition, which Raju Basnet officially opened. The schools’ musical prowess was showcased through their painstakingly coordinated and well-planned performances. PB Gurung of the State Reserve Lines, Narendra Bardewa of the Culture Department, and Nirmal Ramudamu, ASI, Sikkim Armed Police, comprised the competition’s panel of judges. The winner of the Girls Brass Band category was West Point Senior Secondary School. North Sikkim Academy in Mangan, Tashi Namgyal Academy in Gangtok, and Soreng Senior Secondary School in Soreng were the winners of the Boys Pipe Band Competition.
The Namchi Girls Senior Secondary School, Namchi, Deorali Girls Senior Secondary School, Gangtok, and Paljor Namgyal Girls Senior Secondary School, Gangtok were the champions of the Girls Pipe Band Competition. Holy Cross School, Tadong, Modern SSS, Tashi Namgyal SSS, and Kumari Pema Tsedum Govt. S.S. Rongli were given consolation prizes. Samagra Shiksha organizer Sushil Tamang suggested the vote of gratitude. The event was organized by Mr. Pempa Tshering Lepcha, Deputy Director cum Nodal Officer of the Inter-School State Band Competition, Samagra Shiksha, while Asha Khatri, Joint Director of Samagra Shiksha, served as Master of Ceremony.
