Sikkim: Five-day long North East NSS Festival concludes in Gangtok, Assam, Arunachal awarded

The five-day-long North East National Service Scheme (NSS) Festival, 2024 concluded on July 19, at Manan Kendra, Gangtok, witnessing a colourful display of culture through dance programmes belonging to Northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.

Winners of culture competition were also awarded prizes during the event with Assam bagging the first position, Sikkim second, and Arunachal Pradesh clinched the third position. 

Arunachal Pradesh also bagged the Best Contigency for North East NSS 2024.

Tshering Palden Bhutia, Deputy Mayor, Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) graced the concluding ceremony.

The programme was attended by ]Yogeeta Rai PCA-cum-Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs (S&YA) Department, Kuber Bhandari, President Sikkim Olympic Association, Dr RB Bishwakarma, Addtitional Director S&YA, Jigmee Y Lepcha, Joint Director S&YA, Laleeta Chettri Deputy Director S&YA-cum-State Nodal Officer NSS (Sikkim), officers from S&YA Department, Sandhya Gurung, Dronacharya Awardee-Boxing coach, Sanjay Budhathoki, fitness icon and Sikkimese bodybuilder, Anjan Chowdhary Founder of Skillfinity-cum-Motivational Speaker and concerned officials from various line departments. 

Tshering Palden Bhutia, in her brief address appreciated the efforts of the NSS organisers and volunteers during the NSS 2024 event. She stated the importance of the festival, the objective of which is not limited to cultural exchange but includes unity among youth and sows the seeds of positive change within the society. Further, she hoped that the NSS carries the momentum forward and leads by example to bring prosperous future and a better tomorrow. 

Ms Laleeta Chettri, State Nodal Officer NSS (Sikkim), welcomed everybody on behalf of Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Government of Sikkim. She briefed everyone about the history of NSS. She summarised the events which unfolded in the past four days and hoped to meet the participants again in the future. 

Sanjay Budathoki, Sikkimese bodybuilder, thanked the current administration for upliftment of sports in the state of Sikkim and stated the importance of introducing fitness culture to the youth which will lead to them shunning drug abuse in the future. 

In his message to the youth, he urged them to imbibe interest in sports at an early age which will benefit their mentality and health in a holistic way. He concluded his address by giving his best wishes to the participants and hoped that they will indulge in sporting activities and shun drug abuse in the near future. 

Yogeeta Rai Secretary S&YA officially declared the North East NSS 2024 festival closed.