The final round of the National School Band Competition 2024-25 will be held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on January 24 and 25, 2025, as part of the Republic Day celebrations.
The event will be started by the Defence Secretary and the Secretary of the Ministry of Education. The prize distribution ceremony on January 25 will be attended by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth.
This competition is created to inspire patriotism, unity and a sense of pride among school children while encouraging overall education.
Finalists Announced
16 school band teams from across India have made it to the grand finale. These teams, made up of 466 students, will compete in four categories: Boys Brass Band, Girls Brass Band, Boys Pipe Band and Girls Pipe Band.
Here is the table of the 16 teams shortlisted as finalists:
| Category |
Team Name |
Zone |
| Pipe Band Boys |
North Sikkim Academy, Nangan, Sikkim |
Eastern Zone |
|
PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 Belagavi Cantt., Karnataka |
Southern Zone |
|
Rajarambapu Patil Military School & Sports Academy, Islampur, Sangli, Maharashtra |
Western Zone |
|
City Montessori School, Kanpur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
Northern Zone |
| Brass Band Girls |
St. Joseph's Convent Sr. Sec. School, Idgah hills, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh |
Western Zone |
|
Government Sr. Sec. School West Point, Gangtok, Sikkim |
Eastern Zone |
|
St Joseph's Anglo Indian Girl's Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode, Kerala |
Southern Zone |
|
Gayatri Vidyapeeth, Shantikunj, Haridwar, Uttarakhand |
Northern Zone |
| Pipe Band Girls |
Shri Thakurdwara Balika Vidyalaya, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh |
Northern Zone |
|
Bhonsala Military School Girls, Nasik, Maharashtra |
Western Zone |
|
Monte CBSE School, Kurnool, Pandipadu Village, Kallur Mandal, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh |
Southern Zone |
|
PM Shri Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Patamda, East Singhbum, Jharkhand |
Eastern Zone |
| Brass Band Boys |
Pinegrove School, Subathu, District-Solan, Himachal Pradesh |
Northern Zone |
|
Prince Lotus Valley Academy, Sikar, Rajasthan |
Western Zone |
|
St. Xavier's English Medium School, Pathalgaon, Chhattisgarh |
Southern Zone |
|
St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Pathaliaghat, Sepahijala, Tripura |
Eastern Zone |
The top three teams in each category will win cash prizes of ₹21,000 (1st), ₹16,000 (2nd), and ₹11,000 (3rd), along with trophies and certificates. The remaining teams in each category will receive a consolation prize of ₹3,000.
A panel of judges from the Ministry of Defence, including members from the Armed Forces, will evaluate the performances.
This year, more than 700 school band teams from 34 states and Union Territories registered for the competition. In total, over 14,000 students participated in the State Level, and 2,337 students competed in the Zonal Level. Finally, 16 teams have reached the grand finale.
The National School Band Competition, which started in 2023, is being held jointly by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education. It highlights the importance of school bands in promoting unity, national pride, and a sense of belonging among students. (PR)