The annual day of Kendriya Vidyalaya 1 was an occasion for the school to showcase all that it had achieved over the past year.

The function at EZCC commenced with the mantra Deep jyoti namaste in the presence of chief guest, Commandant Ashoke Kumar, CO, ICGS and nominee chairman of the Vidyalaya management committee, who expressed his delight in being part of such a significant occasion. Principal Sabiha Sahin presented the annual report for the academic year highlighting the school’s achievements and commitment to excellence.

“Education is the great manifestation of perfection already existing in man,” Sahin said, quoting Swami Vivekananda. “Our teachers have strived to achieve this ideal through the year.”

The report showcased academic achievements, such as that of Srijita Tripathi who topped the school with an impressive 97.2 per cent in Class X. Aditi Anil Pulikottil from the science stream 97 per cent, Prayag Pattnayak from commerce scored 94.6 per cent, and Anandini Sharma from humanities scored 91.4 per cent. Sahin also highlighted that students participated in 14 different sports, including swimming, taekwondo, chess, archery, and yoga, with five students selected for the prestigious School Games Federation of India competitions.

“I was never that serious about academics but followed a routine by picking subjects to study every day. I never studied for long hours; I focused on my class notes, which proved invaluable. I advise my juniors to avoid stress; dedication is the key,” said Srijita, the topper.

The celebration continued with the distribution of awards in academic excellence and artistic talents such as art, dance, recitation, calligraphy, greeting card-making, Sanskrit sloka recitation etc.

Awards were also presented to the staff members. Nita Patra, a math teacher who received the Most Dedicated Service Award, shared her philosophy: “My motto is ‘learn math as you like.’ KV has allowed me to teach math in various ways—through dramatisation, games, and storytelling. Math is something students often fear; and I believe learning should be enjoyable.”

The cultural programme included a skit The Sun Never Goes on Vacation, on commitment and responsibility. An instrumental performance featured flutes, keyboards, electric guitars, and tabla.

Yashaswi Yash from Class VI participated in a fusion dance set to a Tagore song. “This was my first time performing at our annual function. I learn kuchipudi dance and aspire to open my own dance school some day,” she said.

Parents also expressed their pride in their children’s accomplishments.

K.K. Nayak, father of Vrindarika Nayak—a Class 5 student who won first place in a spell bee competition—remarked on the importance of such events: “This function encourages children to excel academically while also pursuing extracurricular activities they are passionate about.”