New Delhi is buzzing with anticipation as the selection process for Republic Day 2026 heats up. The zonal level of the National School Band Competition has wrapped up, paving the way for 16 top school teams from across India to compete in the grand finale on January 24 at the National Bal Bhavan.
Each of the four zones—East, West, North, and South—has contributed four exceptional bands. These teams will showcase their skills in Brass Band Boys, Brass Band Girls, Pipe Band Boys, and Pipe Band Girls categories. The event aims to ignite patriotism and unity among schoolchildren nationwide.
In the Brass Band Boys category, St. Xavier’s High School from West Singhbhum, Jharkhand (East Zone), Sanjivani Sainik School from Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra (West Zone), City Montessori School from Lucknow (North Zone), and PM Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya from Kasaragod, Kerala (South Zone) have earned their spots.
Brass Band Girls features Holy Cross High School from Gomati, Tripura (East), Don Bosco High School from Mumbai (West), St. Joseph’s College from Lucknow (North), and Providence Girls Higher Secondary School (South).
For Pipe Band Boys, Karali School from Ranchi (East), Shri Swami Narayan Gurukul Kumar Vidyalaya from Gir Somnath, Gujarat (West), Government Boys Senior Secondary School from Badli, Delhi (North), and The Great India Sainik School from Raipur, Chhattisgarh (South) are set to perform.
Pipe Band Girls selections include Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya from Ranchi (East), PM Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan (West), Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya from Palam Colony, Delhi (North), and PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya from Bengaluru (South).
Top performers in each category will receive cash prizes: Rs 51,000 for first place, Rs 31,000 for second, and Rs 21,000 for third, along with trophies and certificates. Remaining teams get Rs 11,000 each. A jury from the Ministry of Defence, including experts from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, will judge the performances.
Jointly organized by the Ministries of Defence and Education, the competition started at state and UT levels with participation from CBSE, ICSE, KVS, NVS, KGBVs, NSBAVS, PM-SHRI, and Sainik Schools. From 763 state-level teams, 94 advanced to zonals, where 80 teams and 2,217 students from 30 states and UTs competed.
Building on last year’s success, this edition saw even greater enthusiasm, promising a spectacular display of youthful talent on Republic Day.