Courage, not circumstance, defined the heroes of the IIMH Presents The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence 2025, North Bengal organised in association with The Bhawanipur Education Society College and PCM Group and co-sponsored by SiP Abacus.

From a sightless boy in Darjeeling who travels 15km each day to school to another boy in Siliguri who sings through the pain of polio to another who stopped walking but not dreaming, every honour moved the crowd during the award ceremony held at Divya Jyoti auditorium in Siliguri on Saturday.

“I stopped walking in 2021 and could walk only for eight years of my life,” said Reyansh Agarwal, a Class VII student of Darjeeling Public School, a recipient of PCM Group Award for Courage.

Reyansh suffers from the rare Duchenne muscular dystrophy but his enthusiasm on stage and his interaction with the crowd touched everyone in the audience.

Abhinav Chappariya of Class V, affected by polio in both legs since childhood, but now a proud member of the school choir, lifted everyone’s spirits by humming a
few lines.

Sharing the stage was Arup Mandal, a farmer’s son with visual disability who managed to score 77.4 per cent in Madhyamik this year from Muraliganj High School in Darjeeling. He used to commute 15km every day by public transport to attend class.

Barry O’Brien, who conducted the third edition of the award ceremony in north Bengal organised by The Telegraph Education Foundation (TTEF) stressed the mission of the event was three Es — empathise, educate and empower.

Everyone in the jam-packed hall agreed.

When the organisers made an open call to the audience to sponsor two bi-cycles to deserving students, six caring persons raised their hands.

“The event would not have been a success without the support of so many patrons who want to make a difference in the society they live in,” said Amitabha Dutta,
chairman, TTEF.

Delhi Public School, Siliguri, won the prestigious The Telegraph School of the Year Award while The Vidya Mandir Trust Award for Excellence in Extra Curricular Activities was won jointly by St Joseph’s School (North Point), Darjeeling and G.D. Goenka Public School, Siliguri.

Editor of The Telegraph, Devdan Mitra, handed over The Telegraph School of the Year Award to Delhi Public School, Siliguri.

Sharad Agarwal, the chairman of Delhi Public School, Siliguri, said: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on the success of The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence, North Bengal 2025. Their efforts in recognising and celebrating the achievements of students in our region are truly
commendable.”

Terming the event as one of a kind in north Bengal, Agarwal said it played “a vital role in boosting the morale of students” and “inspire teachers and schools to enhance their efforts and foster a culture of continuous improvement”. “We look forward to seeing this event continue to inspire and uplift the next generation,”
Agarwal said.

“What I liked most about the event was that every important stratum involved in education was recognised. This is rare,” said Uma Chhetri, a retired teacher of Maharani Girls High School, Darjeeling, one of the five recipients of Dr AP O’Brien Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for a teacher.

If Noreen Dunne, a highly respected educationist from Darjeeling and Uma’s former teacher, was inducted in the TTEF Hall of Fame, Jagannath Singh of Muraliganj High School, who is a security guard and Prem Lal Singh a Group D staff of the same school who has a record not taking a leave for a single day in his 20-year career was also honoured with the The Shining Star award.

“The format of the event is amazing,” said Dunne, a retired teacher of St Joseph’s College (North Point), Darjeeling.

Exceptional talents in sports, music and other co-curricular were also
honoured.

Addressing the audience, Dr Suborno Bose, founder chairman, IIHM, said: “Education is not just about learning lessons, it is about awakening purpose. At The Telegraph school awards, we celebrated not only achievers, but dreamers who dare to make the world kinder, smarter, and more beautiful through knowledge and
humanity.”