39th North-Central Zone Youth Festival concludes at Maharishi Markandeshwar University
The festival featured a wide range of competitions encompassing music, dance, theatre, fine arts, literary arts and folk arts
The 39th Inter-University North-Central Zone Youth Festival ‘UNIFEST 2025-26’, organised under the aegis of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) at Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), concluded on Saturday.
The five-day festival witnessed participation from over 1,300 students representing 27 universities of the North-Central Zone. The festival featured a wide range of competitions encompassing music, dance, theatre, fine arts, literary arts and folk arts.
The chief guest of the ceremony, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa, congratulated all participants. He said such youth festivals provide golden opportunities for young talents to showcase their abilities.
Highlighting the government’s continuous efforts towards youth empowerment, he stated that today’s youngsters are transforming from job seekers into job creators, which reflects a bright future for the nation. He urged young people to set clear life goals and work relentlessly towards achieving them.
AIU Observer Sony Chundattu, in his address, described the festival as a vibrant celebration of culture, creativity and diversity that has left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of all participants. He noted that the festival showcased an extraordinary confluence of talent, passion, and creativity, which was truly inspiring. The performances clearly demonstrated that today’s youth possess not only artistic excellence but also the capacity to guide society through their ideas and expressions.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Harish Kumar Sharma emphasised that the success and dignity of such festivals depend significantly on the impartiality and integrity of the judges. Every good thing comes to an end, but this event was not merely a programme, it was a grand celebration for our university. It reflects the festive spirit, cultural richness and unity of our institution.
On the occasion, Chandigarh University, Unnao, emerged as the overall champion with outstanding performances across competitions. Kurukshetra University was declared the first runner-up, the University of Delhi the second runner-up, Apeejay Stya University, Gurugram, the third runner-up, while Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, secured the position of fourth runner-up.
