Summary
The jury includes Anupam Roy, Paoli Dam, Dibyendu Barua, Kunal Basu, Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, Joydeep Karmakar, Paul Walsh, Jai R. Ram and Sreenanda Shankar
The award ceremony will be hosted on March 22 at GD Birla Sabhaghar, Kolkata
The nine-member jury of The Telegraph Edugraph 18 Under 18 Awards didn’t have an easy time picking the 18 achievers. The top 50 finalists dazzled the celebrated panel with their talent and enthusiasm.
Ahead of the award ceremony on March 22 —- where Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South East Asia, OYO, will be the guest of honour — the jury members share their experience of interacting with the youngsters in the judging rounds.
Anupam Roy, singer and musician: I really enjoyed the judging process. The participants were extremely talented and it was really difficult for us to choose. The 18 Under 18 Awards is a great initiative because it inspires all these young people who are trying to do something different and gives them a platform and recognition. This will help them and motivate them. It shows them that society values their pursuits.
Kunal Basu, author and professor: It was a wonderful experience listening to a talented and confident bunch of youngsters. Each one of them is a winner in their own right.
Joydeep Karmakar, Olympic shooter: It was amazing to interact with the talented kids. It was a very tough job for me to select a winner from all those bright children. The confidence they had inspired me. Never did I realise that this generation of kids could have such clarity about themselves and their goals. Their perception of their strengths and weaknesses was extraordinary. Well, I was nowhere near them when I was their age!
Dibyendu Barua, chess grandmaster: I appreciate the initiative taken by The Telegraph Edugraph to introduce the 18 Under 18 awards. I am thankful to the team for selecting me as one of the jury members. It was a tough job to select the winners from the 50 finalists. All are extremely talented and focused. I am sure this award will inspire and motivate them to do well in their future endeavours. My heartfelt congratulations to the winners and I wish them a very successful life ahead.
Partha Pratim Chakraborty, professor and ex-director, IIT Kharagpur: The 18 Under 18 awards is a very inspiring initiative by The Telegraph Edugraph, which has seen so many talents come to the fore. For the students, these awards encourage them to work harder, be motivated and perform better. I am thankful to the team for selecting me as a jury member. The students were extremely talented and focused. It was tough for all of us to select the best few. I extend my heartiest congratulations to all the participants, nominees and winners.
Paul Walsh, founder, Jungle Crows: Seeing young people achieve in such a wide range of activities is very exciting. I was lucky to be part of the sporting achievement. Judging and hearing about the commitment from all the athletes was special. How they had each overcome the challenges presented by Covid-19 was particularly impressive. We all need to commit to making more opportunities for children in sports and arts.
Sreenanda Shankar, actor, dancer and makeover consultant: I had an amazing time meeting the children. I was impressed especially by their age and how much they have excelled in their pursuits. The fact that they are going to get recognition from a platform like this is amazing and I want to thank The Telegraph Edugraph for making me a part of this. I want to wish all the participants a lot of luck and success in life.
Paoli Dam, actress: All the participants were really good, and the fact that they are this capable and passionate at this age is amazing. It made the judging process really difficult. It is great that there is a programme like this which encourages the youth to pursue their passion. Education is important but so are extracurricular activities and it is great that this platform is providing a boost to their creative side.
Jai Ranjan Ram, psychiatrist: The 18 Under 18 initiative has been an energising opportunity for me to interact and learn from young people across diverse families. Their skill and dedication, commitment to their passion and the simplicity of their approach reaffirm one’s faith in humanity.
The 18 Under 18 Awards is presented by Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management (EIILM) Kolkata, powered by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) and co-powered by Vivekananda Mission School, Joka. It is also supported by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT) as knowledge partner, Wow China as food partner and PEEDEE World as outdoor partner.
Last updated on 19 Mar 2022
