Yeh Dil Maange More!” (the heart wants more) said Captain Vikram Batra after he captured point 5140 during the Kargil war. Two and a half decades later, commemorating the bravery and triumph of India in the war, the Indian Army marked the 25th anniversary by launching ‘Battle of Minds,’ an inter-school competition. Held on August 16 with over 32,000 schools registered from six different army commands participating, six schools made it to the finals held on December 3 at Delhi’s Manekshaw Centre Auditorium
The Army Welfare Education Society has been organising quizzes among different Army Public Schools; this year, the goal was bigger. “We were able to reach out to schools from 779 districts of the country,” says Indranil Ray, Head of Strategy Indian Army Quiz 2023. Ray also shares that 9,900 schools participated in the first round of the quiz, which was conducted online. The quarterfinals across 12 locations nationwide, including Kashmir, Bengaluru, Kota, and Guwahati witnessed 72 schools.
INTERACTIVE, INFORMATIVE
The final quiz featured three riveting rounds with a suspenseful buzze r round saved for the climax. Quiz masters Kunal Savarkar and Seema Chari ensured a “wow movement”, as Chari calls it, even when the room was tense. The quiz questions were drafted in such a way that it did not keep the audience aloof from the participants.
The questions, especially from the ‘wipe out’ round where participants were allowed five guesses to identify Indian sites of the Indus Valley civilisations, countries on the equator line, or identity the Indian cricketers who crossed the 200 mark in ODIs were entertaining, interactive and had the audience completely tuned in “We wanted the audience to think ‘Oh wow, I know the answer’ or at least some bells ring,” said Chari.
The murmurs of audience members discussing the questions among themselves and eagerly waiting for their chance to answer in case the participants passed the question was evident. On being asked about the relevance of such a quiz, Chari told TMS: “It is important that we know about the Indian Army and its achievements. Our army is older than our independence. People should know that the Indian army is not just about wars, but also about the rescue missions, it is also about helping people and spreading the message of peace and humanity.”
DIVERSE TOPICS
Cultural performances were also part of the event. Students of the Army Public School, Delhi Cantonment, took part in an orchestra featuring the songs ‘Ma Tujhe Salam’, ‘Chak De India’, and ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’. Army Public School, Shankar Vihar, showcased their talent through a dance performance, celebrating India’s achievement in the G-20 summit. Lastly, Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, closed the cultural night with their Kathak performance, followed by the announcement of the winner.
After a gruelling round of quizzing, Varanasi’s St. John’s School, Banaras Locomotive Works, emerged victorious, bagging a trophy symbolising unity and infinity, along with a combined cash prize of Rs 5,25,000.
The finalists were felicitated by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Archana Pande, President of the Army Wives Welfare Association, and General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff. “The quiz focused on the real stories of those who served and sacrificed for the nation. It is a moment of great pride that these stories reached the custodians of India –our students. It inspires all of us to see young students understand the rich military history of our country,” says Chandrasekhar, who was also the chief guest for the evening.