The “Battle of Minds” – Indian Army Quiz 2023 witnessed an extraordinary display of knowledge and quick thinking in the haloed portals of the Kargil War Memorial by bright, young, and enthusiastic four-member student teams from 13 local Schools, located in the culturally, militarily, and historically significant – Kargil-Dras region. It was part of the Silver Jubilee anniversary commemoration of the Kargil victory special event titled “Vijay Se Vijay Tak.” curated by the Indian Army held at the iconic Kargil War Memorial in Dras, on 7 October 2023.
It was immensely heartening to note that 54% of the participating school teams were girls. These young minds engaged in a 30-minute-long spirited intellectual written battle-of-wits, testing their knowledge, and fostering camaraderie and unity. Up for grabs were lucrative cash prizes and participation certificates for all the schools. What was of special interest was that these schools were also vying amongst themselves, for the coveted wildcard entry spot in the Quarterfinals of the Northern Command, set to take place in Srinagar on 26 October 23.
The event was graced by Col Sonam Wangchuk, MVC (Retd) and Nb Sub Mahaveer Singh, VrC – two of the valiant warriors who had fought the Kargil war in 1999. In addition, there was a diverse audience comprising students, teachers and mentors hailing from the participating Schools. A large number of serving JCOs and soldiers were also present to motivate the participants.
After a rigorous evaluation of the written answer sheets, the results were finally declassified. Army Goodwill School, Dras was the undisputed champion of the day. They were felicitated with a cash award of Rs 2500/-, Participation Certificates and a Wildcard Entry to the Northern Command Quarterfinals by the Chief Guest – Col Sonam Wangchuk, MVC (Retd) in the presence of Col MS Rawat (Retd), Director, AWES, Northern Command and Col RK Singh, Deputy Commander, 56 Mountain Brigade.
Government High School, Kaksar and Himabass Public High School, Dras were the joint Second position holders and were presented with a cash award of Rs 2000/- each and Participation Certificates. All the other participating schools were also honoured with Certificates of Participation and cash awards of Rs 1000/- each.
One of the main aims of the event was to inspire and motivate students from the 32,000-plus schools across India registered to participate in the Battle of Minds – Indian Army Quiz 2023.
“I am thankful to all my teammates for their team spirit. We have been dedicatedly preparing for this competition, and it feels incredible to see our efforts pay off. We are excited to represent our school and our city in the upcoming Quarterfinals,” shared Ms Uma Farooq, Captain of the Army Goodwill School, Dras – the winning team.
Speaking about the event, Col Gaurav Bhatia, PhD (Retd) asserted, “The ‘Battle of Minds’ – Indian Army Quiz 2023 proudly claims the title of the world’s largest inter-school quiz competition. It unequivocally represents the promotion of knowledge and the empowerment of today’s youth, underscored by the overwhelming response, with a substantial number of students enthusiastically participating in this unique event.”
As an added incentive, enticing prizes await the participants of the “Battle of Minds” – Indian Army Quiz 2023. The top twelve schools stand a chance to win buses, while students and their teachers can earn iPads and tablets as rewards for their excellence. Furthermore, cash prizes will not only be bestowed upon the ultimate winner but also on those who make it to the Semi-Finals and Quarterfinals, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to be recognized for their achievements.
The online competition of the “Battle of Minds” – Indian Army Quiz 2023, being hosted on www.indianarmyquiz.com commenced on 3 October 2023, with the grand finale slated for 5 December 2023.
