More than 1.92 crore school students from all 36 States and UTs have participated enthusiastically in Project Veer Gatha 5.0. Students submitted poems, paintings, essays, videos and more, honouring the bravery and sacrifice of the officers and personnel of the Armed Forces. They were also encouraged to explore the indomitable spirit and military strategies of India’s great warriors, such as King Kharavela of Kalinga, Prithviraj Chauhan, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Warriors of 1857 – the First War of Independence, and leaders of Tribal Uprisings, among others.

Instituted in 2021, Project Veer Gatha aims to disseminate inspiring life stories of gallantry awardees and instil the spirit of patriotism among students. The initiative provides a creative platform for students to showcase the heroic deeds of gallantry award winners, aligning with the vision of NEP 2020, which emphasises experiential and project-based learning over rote memorisation.

Four editions of the project have been successfully conducted in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively. Under Project Veer Gatha 5.0, the following activities have been carried out:

Activities at the School Level:

Schools conducted various projects and activities from 08.09.2025 to 10.11.2025 and uploaded four best entries from each school on the MyGov portal.

Simultaneously, to enrich students’ knowledge of gallant heroes and unsung stories, the Ministry of Defence, through its field organisations of the Army, Navy and Air Force, organised virtual meets and face-to-face awareness sessions for schools across the country.

Since its inception, the project has seen a steady rise in participation:

          •        8.03 lakh students in Edition 1

          •        19.5 lakh students in Edition 2

          •        1.36 crore students in Edition 3

          •        1.76 crore students in Edition 4

          •         1.92 crore students in Edition 5

In a significant milestone, Project Veer Gatha 5.0 has expanded beyond national borders, witnessing enthusiastic participation from students of Indian schools abroad. This international engagement reflects the project’s growing impact in connecting the global Indian diaspora with the inspiring stories of India’s gallantry awardees, thereby strengthening their bond with the nation’s values of courage, sacrifice and patriotism.

Adding further inspiration to this year’s edition, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Test Pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF), delivered a motivational address and shared a special video message for students. His message encouraged young participants to pursue excellence, serve the nation with dedication, and uphold the values of bravery and resilience embodied by the Veer Gatha initiative.

During Editions 1 and 2, 25 national winners (Super 25) were selected and felicitated jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi. In Editions 3.0 and 4.0, 100 national winners (Super 100) were selected. This year too, under Project Veer Gatha 5.0, 100 national winners will be selected as per the 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure of NEP 2020:

          • Preparatory Stage – 25 winners

          • Middle Stage – 25 winners

          • Secondary Stage – 25 winners each from Classes 9–10 and Classes 11–12

Their felicitation will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi. Each national winner will receive a cash prize of Rs. 10,000.

Additionally, there will be 2,956 winners from 739 districts (four winners per participating district) and 288 winners from States/UTs (eight winners per State/UT). All such winners will be felicitated by their respective District and State/UT administrations.

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AK

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