New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): On the eve of Republic Day 2023, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Union Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan felicitated the 25 winners of Veer Gatha 2.0 at an event organised in New Delhi on Wednesday, said a press release by Ministry of Education.

Veer Gatha 2.0, the second edition of project Veer Gatha was organised in the backdrop of the overwhelming success of Veer Gatha Edition 1 last year which was jointly initiated by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, added the press release.

Rajnath Singh gave away the winners a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a medal and a certificate, in the presence of Pradhan and MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt, as per the statement.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane were also present. Over 100 NCC cadets and students from Army Public SchoolsCantonment Boards were in attendance, with students and teachers from over 500 schools joining virtually.

Congratulating the young winners, Defence Minister commended their bravery, zeal and creativity, and expressed confidence that the young generation will provide a new and better direction not only for themselves but also for society and the nation.

Applauding the role of Veer Gatha in inspiring values of patriotism in the young students, Singh said, such projects will play a crucial role in infusing values of morality and bravery along with education among students.

Speaking on the occasion Pradhan said that it was awe-inspiring to see my young friends come up with fantastic creative entries inspired by our brave hearts.

He expressed his confidence that their life stories of brave hearts will inspire the students to do good for themselves and contribute to nation-building in various ways.

He further said that every civilisation and nation must honour its brave hearts. Shri Pradhan called for further expanding Project Veergatha and integrating the stories of our brave hearts in our school curriculum, in line with the National Education Policy 2020.

On the occasion, Param Vir Chakra Awardee Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar narrated his real-life story of the Kargil war where he overcame all odds and played a crucial role in India's historic victory. He encouraged the children to take inspiration from the courageous soldiers who selflessly serve the motherland without caring for personal safety. (ANI)