Three Govt school band teams to perform in Republic Day Parade for 1st time

New Delhi

BY | Saturday, 25 January, 2025

Three government school band teams will be performing in the Republic Day Parade for the very first time on 26 January 2025. The Education Ministry announced that the team from PM SHRI KGBV Patamda, Jharkhand, will be performing at the Rostrum opposite the Presidential dais, synchronized with the Army band. Meanwhile, the teams from Govt. Sr. Sec School West Point, Gangtok, Sikkim, and PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 Belagavi Cantonment, Karnataka, will showcase their performances at the Vijay Chowk.

These school bands are among 16 teams competing in the National School Band Competition 6.0, the finale of which took place on Saturday at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth gave away prizes to the winners of the National School Band Competition.

The Pipe Band Girls Team from PM Shri Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Patamda, East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, comprises of a 25-member team of girls from underprivileged families, many reliant on farming and daily labour. For most, this is their first train journey to Delhi. They have received guidance from instructors of the Sikh Regiment and Punjab Regiment located at Ramgarh Army Regimental Centre.

The team has been practising the pipe band for the past three years. In the 2024-25 State-Level (Inter-District) School Band Competition held in Ranchi, the team claimed first place in the pipe band category, surpassing the previous year’s champions and a strong Ranchi district team.

The Brass Band Girls’ Team: Govt. West Point Sr. Secondary School, Gangtok, Sikkim, has set benchmarks of excellence, claiming state, zonal, and national-level accolades. Competing against seven champion teams, the team showcased unmatched dedication and emerged as Eastern Region Champions. Many of these students hail from humble and challenging backgrounds.

The pipe band (boys) contingent of PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 Belagavi Cantt., Karnataka, has many students from families with parents serving in the Indian Army. The team has been trained by MLIRC (Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre Belagavi).

The Education Ministry also stated that in tandem with the “whole of Government approach”, initiative has been taken for training of PM SHRI school band teams by the band instructors/teams of Army Regimental Centres. Training has begun in 11 States/UTs and will commence shortly in the rest of the States/UTs. Subsequently, more schools would join the Band System, with support from the Army Regional Centres, opening new opportunities for children. This is a step towards imparting holistic education to students of PM SHRI schools and developing them into well-rounded personalities.

Under the innovation component of the Centrally sponsored scheme – Samagra Shiksha – financial support is being provided to States/UTs for organizing the Band Competition at the State level.

Winners of National School Band Competition 6.0

Pipe Band Girls:

1st Prize – PM Shri Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Patamda, East Singhbum, Jharkhand (Eastern Zone)

2nd Prize – Bhonsala Military School Girls, Nasik, Maharashtra (Western Zone)

3rd Prize – Shri Thakurdwara Balika Vidyalaya, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (Northern Zone)

Consolation Prize – Monte CBSE School, Kurnool, Pandipadu Village, Kallur Mandal Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh (Southern Zone)

Pipe Band Boys:

1st Prize – City Montessori School, Kanpur Road Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (Northern Zone)

2nd Prize – North Sikkim Academy, Nangan, Sikkim (Eastern Zone)

3rd Prize – Rajarambapu Patil Military School & Sports Academy Islampur, Sangli, Maharashtra (Western Zone)

Consolation Prize – PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 Belagavi Cantt. Karnataka (Southern Zone)

Brass Band Girls:

1st Prize – Government Sr. Sec. School West Point, Gangtok, Sikkim (Eastern Zone)

2nd Prize – St. Joseph’s Convent Sr. Sec. School, Idgah hills, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (Western Zone)

3rd Prize – St Joseph’s Anglo Indian Girl’s Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode, Kerala (Southern Zone)

Consolation Prize – Gayatri Vidyapeeth, Shantikunj, Haridwar, Uttrakhand (Northern Zone)

Brass Band Boys:

1st Prize – Prince Lotus Valley Academy, Sikar, Rajasthan (Western Zone)

2nd Prize – St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Pathaliaghat, Sepahijala, Tripura (Eastern Zone)

3rd Prize – Pinegrove School, Subathu, District-Solan, Himachal Pradesh (Northern Zone)

Consolation Prize – St. Xavier’s English Medium School, Pathalgaon, Chhattisgarh (Southern Zone)

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