New Delhi , 7th May, 2011: In a heart-warming tribute to mark the 150th anniversary of the first Nobel Laureate from Asia, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, 24 students from Kendriya Vidyalayas were felicitated for their analysis and interpretation of the works of Gurudev using an innovative 21st century collaborative platform – ThinkQuest. Organised by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and supported by Oracle Education Foundation, the awards are a culmination of the three-month Tagore Mahotsav competition ideated and organised by Kendriya Vidyalaya.
The award ceremony was presided over by Hon`ble Minister of State of Human Resource Development, Dr. (Smt.) Daggubati Purandeswari. In her speech,
Hon`ble Minister congratulated winners and participants. She also appreciated the endeavour of KVS to take the initiative to re-kindle the memory of Gurudev in the hearts and minds of the young. As Tagore has immortalized himself through his work, it is important that the new generations receive a timely exposure to such a great role model early in their lives so that they could imbibe the essence of his life, work and contribution to society.
KVS announced the first-of-a-kind Tagore Mahotsav contest in December 2010. Aligned to the guidelines of the National Curriculum Framework of progressive learning and Kendriya Vidyalaya’s mission of being a pace setter in education, the competition was conducted using The Oracle Education Foundation’s ThinkQuest, an online protected learning platform that helps students develop important 21st century skills, including communication, critical thinking, and technology skills. Using ThinkQuest, students participated in essay writing, book reviews, PowerPoint presentations and video competitions that promoted a better understanding of Tagore as a poet, novelist, playwright, painter and musician. Over 7000 students from 420 KVs across 18 regions participated in this unique initiative.
There was active participation from Ahmedabad, Bangaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna and Silchar among others. Bhopal witnessed the maximum participation from over 245 students, followed by Delhi with 207 and Chennai with 196 students.
Speaking on the occasion,
Shri. Avinash Dikshit, Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan said, “The Tagore Mahotsav was a stimulating experience for us. In addition to paying tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, the program helped bring the younger generation closer to Tagore’s creative genius and values.”
Mr. Krishna Sistla, Senior Director, Oracle Education Initiatives, Oracle Asia Pacific who was also present on the occasion said, “It is a privilege to have had the opportunity to support this initiative. This competition encouraged students to embark on a journey of discovery of Tagore’s life and works and use ThinkQuest’s online platform to engage in deeper subject understanding, research and collaboration with peers.”
About Oracle Education Foundation (OEF):
The Oracle Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization funded by Oracle. Oracle Education Foundation inspires students globally to think, connect, create and share - using technology to help them dissolve boundaries, fulfill their potential, and create a better society. It delivers ThinkQuest, an online learning platform that helps students develop important 21st century skills, including communication, critical thinking, and technology skills. ThinkQuest includes a project environment that supports collaborative learning, technology competitions that challenge students to solve real-world problems. ThinkQuest supports over 548,000 students and teachers in 47 countries. To learn more, visit
http://www.oraclefoundation.org.
In India, ThinkQuest supports over 2,42,000 students in 1500+ schools.
About Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS):
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan is a system of central government schools under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (India). Kendriya Vidyalaya schools aim to pursue excellence and set pace in the field of school education. Moreover, they want to initiate and promote experimentation and innovativeness in education in collaboration with other bodies like the Central Board of Secondary Education and National Council of Educational Research and Training.
