Springs of energy spouted aloft from every corner of TKR Group of Institutions premises for the second day in succession on Tuesday, drenching in youthful exuberance all those present at the state finals of ‘ The Hindu Education Plus Challenge 2014’.
Happy squeals, boos in jest, slapstick witticism and fists punching the air, all that adrenalin rush and elevated spirits were kept up intact till the end of the day, which was marked otherwise only by an unusually hot sun.
And, there was no stopping of the winning teams, which had carried the merry-making into the twilight sun. It was the CMR College of Engineering and Technology, the winner of the regional rounds, which got the coveted trophy in the finals, too, trouncing eight other institutions on its way.
It was followed by MLR Institute of Technology, the first runner-up, and PVP Siddhartha Institute of Engineering and Technology, Vijayawada, the second.
A cash prize of Rs. 25,000 for the winner and Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 5,000 respectively for the two runners-up were sponsored by The Hindu and Tata Teleservices and distributed by the invited dignitaries for the day - Registrar of JNTU-Hyderabad N.V. Ramana Rao and Hyderabad Metro Rail Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy, among others.
Other than these, there were prizes won in individual events, which included quiz, group discussion, paper presentation, elocution and creative activity.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Prof. Rao lauded the annual efforts by The Hindu and TKR Group and urged students to develop intellectual and social skills, apart from their academics.
Taking the examples of Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs to bring home his point, Prof. Rao stressed that to succeed, one should have thirst for knowledge and discipline in whatever one does.
Mr. N.V.S. Reddy defined the current period of production as the “post-industrial” era where the source of wealth lay, not in capital, but in talented individuals. These individuals, the creators of wealth, prefer cities with quality of life, thereby fostering competition among global cities.
Mr. Reddy went on to explain how the ongoing Metro Rail project placed the city a cut above the rest of the world and urged students to understand the innovation brought into the project.
He asked them to be innovative and open-minded, with a cross-disciplinary comprehension.
Former Mayor and TKR Group of institutions chairman Teegala Krishna Reddy also spoke.
