Rajnath Singh felicitates Super-100 winners of Veer Gatha 4.0 with 66 girls among top achievers

According to an official release, among the 100 winners, 66 are girls from different parts of the country. During the felicitation ceremony, each winner was presented with a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a medal, and a certificate. These Super-100 winners are among the approximately 10,000 special guests who will be witnessing the Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path on January 26.

In his address, Rajnath Singh congratulated the winners and appreciated the joint efforts of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education towards achieving Veer Gatha's objective of connecting the youth with the glorious history of the country's brave hearts.

He acknowledged the pan-India participation of over 1.76 crore students in this fourth edition of the project, stating that it is providing recognition to the bravehearts through education. He commended the intelligence, enthusiasm, and patriotism of the students who participated in the competition.

Expressing delight over the fact that two-thirds of the Super-100 winners of Veer Gatha 4.0 are girls, Rajnath Singh made special mention of a Class 10 student named 'Nemneineng' from Manipur, who had lost her parents when she was a child. He commended her perseverance for not giving up her studies despite numerous difficulties and securing a place among the winners.

Explaining the true meaning of a 'hero' to the students present on the occasion, the Defence Minister asserted that a hero works for the upliftment of the nation and whose work gives a new direction to society. He added that the youth are the future heroes of India and they will play a major role in making India a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, as envisioned by the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"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?" Rajnath Singh asked the students.

Singh exhorted them to continue taking inspiration from bravehearts such as freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Ashfaqulla Khan, as well as courageous soldiers, whose bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten. He termed the sense of national pride as the most crucial aspect for the development of any country.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan underlined 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 highlighted 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 heroes for their immense service and sacrifice to the nation.

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 said, inspiring the young participants. (ANI)