Northern school band competition begins

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday inaugurated the National School Band Competition (Northern Zone) 2025-26 at Chhatrasal Stadium, underscoring the role of discipline, dedication and youth power in nation building.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Gupta said discipline and dedication among students would guide the nation on the path of progress, describing the competition as a vibrant expression of national unity.

The National School Band Competition is being organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, and is being conducted by the Directorate of Education and the Department of Education and Sports of the Delhi government. The event began on January 12 and will continue until January 13.

Around 1,000 students from 10 northern states and Union Territories — Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh — are participating, with contingents of about 100 students from each state and Union Territory.

After the performances, the CM said the event served as a platform to instil leadership, discipline and a spirit of nation building among students. She said the precision and musical unity displayed by the participants reinforced the spirit of “Nation First,” adding that the students were not merely competitors but standard-bearers of India’s future.