Shree MJCKR Higher Secondary School from Songadh in Gujarat has taken the national title at the 26th TCS Rural IT Quiz, held on November 20 during the Bengaluru Tech Summit. The event brought together finalists from eight regions after a year-long competition that drew more than 5.62 lakh participants from smaller towns across India.
Pratham Chetan Dand secured the national championship, with Anish Nauso Shetye from Dr KB Hedgewar Vidyamandir, Sankhalim in Goa finishing as runner-up. The winner received an educational scholarship of Rs 1,00,000, while the runner-up received Rs 50,000. All regional finalists were awarded scholarships of Rs 10,000.
Students from Classes VIII to XII took part in multiple rounds, including online tests, virtual stages, and on-ground quizzes. The national finals featured five technology-focused segments designed to evaluate students’ awareness of developments in computing, digital tools, and emerging technologies.
The eight regional finalists who competed in the national finals were:
• Roop Raunak, JPN Sarvodya Vidyalaya, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
• Vishal Likhitkar, Govt Sandipani Higher Secondary School, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
• Pratham Chetan Dand, Shree MJCKR Higher Secondary School, Songadh, Gujarat
• B Jaya Raghavendra, Andhra Pradesh Residential School, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
• Shivam M Thakare, JD Choudhari JR Science College, Wardha, Maharashtra
• KR Bhagath Surya, Sri Saraswathi Vidyaniketana, Anekal, Karnataka
• Shubham Choudhari, BSP Senior Secondary School, Bhilai, Chhattisgarh
• Anish Nauso Shetye, Dr KB Hedgewar Vidyamandir, Sankhalim, Goa
Awards were presented by Sunil Deshpande, Regional Head, TCS Bengaluru, and Rahul Sharanappa Sankanur, Director, Electronics IT & BT and MD of the Karnataka Innovation & Technology Society.
The Rural IT Quiz, conducted by TCS in partnership with the Karnataka government since 2000, aims to build IT awareness among students from non-urban regions. Over the years, the programme has reached more than 21.5 million students and is noted in the Limca Book of Records as India’s first IT quiz for rural participants.
