The auditorium at South City International School was filled with vitality and enthusiasm as The Telegraph Online Edugraph organised its much-awaited 18 under 18 awards, presented by NSHM Knowledge Campus, Kolkata and Co powered by Techno India Group, on Wednesday, January 24.

Mrs Sudha Murty, eminent author and educator, who has also been conferred the Padma Shri award, was present on the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Eighteen meritorious students under the age of eighteen years were awarded for their talent at the event. Apart from this one of the finalist with the highest number of votes was handed the Popular Choice award. The youngsters were awarded based on interviews by eminent jury members including Tanusree Shankar, Paul Walsh, Dr JR Ram, Debanjan Chakrabarti, Acharyya Chowdhury, Swastika Mukherjee, Indrajit Bhalotia, Bickram Ghosh and Ranadeep Moitra.

Speaking at the event, Mrs Sudha Murty congratulated the students for achieving this brilliant feat and thanked the teachers for their commitment to building the future of the students.

“Teachers play a very important role in building the future of children. That is why we say Acharya Devo Bhawa. So, children must remember that whatever you achieve now there is a driving force behind you who are selflessly devoting their time and love for you,” said Mrs Murty.

“When you grow up and enter the real world there is neither any syllabus nor any teacher. The only teacher is the experience that you gain. And it is an expensive teacher,” she added.

“It doesn’t matter whether you win the award or not. It is the journey that matters the most,” she added.

It was a tough time for the jury members in selecting the top 18 winners from the pool of talents. Talking about her experience as a member of the jury, renowned singer Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury said that she was overwhelmed by the talent displayed by the youngsters.

“As a judge, I was really in a fix while judging the finalists of The Telegraph 18 under 18 awards. All of them are talented. I thank The Telegraph Online Edugraph for organising such an event to inspire the young minds of the future,” said Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury, a renowned singer.

Musician Bickram Ghosh on the other hand feels that the heritage and culture of India are in safe hands and there is nothing to worry about. Praising the initiative by The Telegraph Online Edugraph, he said that such awards play a pivotal role in boosting the morale of students and improving their performance.

“The Telegraph Online Edugraph has provided a brilliant platform for youngsters to showcase their talents. It will boost their morale for the future to a great extent. A talent showcased by the youngsters has proved the India’s culture is in safe hands,” said Musician Bickram Ghosh, another member of the Jury.

Over 2,500 nominations were received for The Telegraph Online 18 under 18 awards from over 350 schools across Eastern India. The finalists were selected by a panel of experts from a wide range of talents who showcased their skills not only in academics, music, sports, art, public speaking and innovation but also explored unconventional areas like speedcubing.