Gondia district picks winning skit and folk dance teams for Nagpur division round

District-level skit acting and folk dance competitions were held with enthusiasm on September 9 at the auditorium of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) in Gondia. The competitions were organised under the central government's population education programme, and were planned under the guidance of the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Maharashtra, Pune, following the directions laid down by that body.

Taluka-level competitions had already been held earlier in all eight talukas of the district. The teams that secured first place in those competitions came together at DIET for both events. The teams that win first place in both categories, skit acting and folk dance, will now represent Gondia district at the Nagpur division level, DIET principal Rajkumar Hiware said. The entire competition was organised under Principal Hiware's guidance.

Dr Naresh Vaidya, senior lecturer at DIET and head of the population education department, presided over the inaugural programme. Subject assistants Sunil Harinkhede and Sandeep Somvanshi, along with co-department head and resource persons Urmila Vaidya and Anita Thengadi, were present on the occasion. Shraddha Ninawe and Tina Thakre, teacher educators from a teacher training college in Gondia, served as judges. The programme was compered by subject resource person Vashishtha Khobragade, while special teacher Pramod Khobragade proposed the vote of thanks.

In the skit acting competition, Zilla Parishad High School, Karti Budruk (Tirora taluka), won first place. PM Shri Shaheed Janya Timya Zilla Parishad High School, Goregaon (Goregaon taluka), came second, while Zilla Parishad High School, Saundad (Sadak Arjuni taluka), came third.

In the folk dance competition, the Government Residential School for Scheduled Caste and Neo-Buddhist Boys, Nangpura/Murri (Gondia taluka), won first place. The Government Residential School for Scheduled Caste and Neo-Buddhist Girls, Davva (Sadak Arjuni taluka), came second, and the Government Residential School for Scheduled Caste and Neo-Buddhist Girls, Sarandi (Tirora taluka), came third.

Through the skit acting performances, students commented on various social and educational themes, while the folk dance performances showcased the rich folk art and culture of Maharashtra. The auditorium was filled with enthusiasm over the students' spirited performances. The dignitaries present congratulated all the winning teams and wished the two first-placed teams selected for the Nagpur division-level competition well.