The stage shone with stories of grit and glory on Friday at the IIHM Presents The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence 2025, North Bengal in association with The Bhawanipur Education Society College and PCM Group, and co-sponsored by SiP Abacus on Friday.
On the inaugural day of the two-day prestigious school award ceremony organised by The Telegraph Education Foundation (TTEF), merit and honour certificates, scholarships and special recognition to students, parents and teachers were handed over at the Birla Divya Jyoti School auditorium at Uttorayon in Siliguri.
The cheers shook the auditorium at Birla Divya Jyoti School, packed to the rafters, when winners of extraordinary courage and pluck took the stage.
Friday’s event provided a glimpse to the excitement and recognition that awaits during the finals of the grand school award ceremony of north Bengal.
Among those recognised on Friday with certificates of merit and honour, some will be declared winners in their respective categories on Saturday, the final day. The Telegraph editor, Devdan Mitra, was among those who handed over the certificates.
“As applause builds and anticipation mounts, Saturday’s ceremony promises to be not just an award event but a celebration of the unyielding spirit that keeps learning alive against all odds,” said Amitabha Datta, chairman, TTEF.
Certificates of merit and honours were handed over for excellence in maintenance and eco-friendly initiatives, academics, individual academic excellence, all round excellence, outstanding talent in sports, music, extra-curricular activities, social service and in various other sectors.
“On the first day of the TTSAFE North Bengal 2025, hundreds of students were recognized with certificates for their excellence….scholarships were distributed among some needy students. The schools and students are gearing up for tomorrow’s event,” said Anand Yonzone, director, North Point Academy, Singamari, Darjeeling, who was present at the function.
The ceremony was also a platform to celebrate students like Rikiya Saha of Kamakhyaguri High School, Alipurduar, who achieved 87.2 percent in Class XI despite her financial condition.
“Her father has passed away, the mother just earns ₹4,000 a month and there are two other brothers to take care of. Despite all odds, Rikiya is determined to excel in her studies,” said Datta.
However, the recognition was not restricted to academics.
Aditi Das, a Class IX student of Kamakhyaguri Girls High School, Alipurduar, received a TTEF scholarship to help her pursue her dreams in athletics.
“Last year, over ₹5 lakh were spent on scholarships for the needy and meritorious students. The PCM Group came forward with generous support,” said Biswanath Dasgupta on behalf of TTEF.
Arup Baran Chattopadhaya of Malbazar Adarsha Bidya Bhaban, Jalpaiguri also received the Dr AP O’Brien Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for a teacher.
On Saturday, some other outstanding educators will be recognised, and one teacher will be included in the TTEF Hall of Fame.
The selection process, which spanned for days, was conducted by an eminent panel comprising Sukanta Chaudhuri, renowned English professor, Uma Dasgupta,
historian and Tagore biographer, Raju Mukherji, former cricketer and selector, Sujata Sen, CEO of Future Hope, Subhash Ranjan Chakraborty, a veteran academic from Darjeeling Government College, Swaraj Kumar Banerjee (Rajah), noted tea connoisseur, Rita Sengupta, head of Prerana — a centre for differently-abled children in Siliguri, and Amitabha Datta, chairman of The Telegraph Education
Foundation (TTEF).
Applications for the awards began arriving at the TTEF office in Calcutta from July this year, many accompanied by photographs and videos. Entries were accepted until the second week of October, after which they were reviewed and arranged for the panel’s assessment.