The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, in coordination with MyGov, has announced the selected participants for the Culture Segment Competition on Patriotism. The contest was organised as part of the Independence Day Celebrations 2026 and focused on cultural expressions connected with North East India.
MyGov published the result as a winners announcement for the culture segment. The ministry involved is commonly referred to as the Ministry of DoNER, and its full name refers to the development of the North Eastern Region. In this announcement, the cultural focus was on the traditions and heritage of the North Eastern States, presented through patriotic creative performances.
The competition was open from 6 July to 21 July 2026. Participants were invited to submit one of three types of entries: a song, a dance performance or a poem recitation. The stated theme was patriotism. According to the announcement, entries were expected to reflect ideas such as national unity, pride, sacrifice and the contribution of the North Eastern States to nation-building.
For readers, the format of the contest is important because it was not limited to one art form. A song entry could express the theme through music and lyrics, a dance entry through movement and presentation, and a poem recitation through spoken performance. The common requirement across these formats was that the performance should communicate patriotism while also connecting with the cultural identity highlighted by the organisers.
109 submissions received
The announcement said the contest received 109 submissions. These entries were reviewed by a Screening Committee of the Ministry of DoNER. The result note did not describe the competition as a public vote; it stated that the entries were screened by the committee.
The evaluation was based on several stated parameters. These included cultural relevance, authentic representation of traditions and heritage, creativity and originality, performance skills and expression, coordination, overall presentation, and suitable use of costumes, music and related elements.
These criteria show that the review covered both the theme and the quality of presentation. Cultural relevance and authentic representation related to how well an entry reflected traditions and heritage. Creativity and originality related to the distinctiveness of the submission. Performance skills, expression, coordination and overall presentation related to how effectively the participant delivered the song, dance or poem. Costumes, music and related elements were also considered where they were relevant to the performance.
Names listed in the announcement
The published list included 11 selected participants, along with their submission IDs and the State or Union Territory mentioned against each name. The submission files were listed separately in the original announcement. The result text available did not provide a separate rank beside each of the listed names.
The names and locations listed in the announcement were:
- Lakshita Hazarika, Assam
- RekhaSharma, National Capital Territory of Delhi
- DakshBhardwaj, Telangana
- Dharmander Kumar Sharma, Telangana
- Sai Chand Gunisetty, Telangana
- AreebaFatima, Rajasthan
- Priya Gokulam, Tamil Nadu
- SriptiSrivastava, Madhya Pradesh
- Riyaansh Uppal, National Capital Territory of Delhi
- Pritam Das, State or UT not provided by MyGov
- Arijit Malik, West Bengal
The spellings above follow the names as presented in the available announcement text, including entries where first and last names appeared without a space. One entry, Pritam Das, was listed without a State or Union Territory in the available text, so no location has been added.
Rewards mentioned by organisers
The announcement said the top three winners selected from the eight North-Eastern States are being felicitated with prizes and with the opportunity to witness the Independence Day Celebrations on 15 August 2026 at the Red Fort in New Delhi. It also said the next 10 winners are being felicitated with certificates.
The eight North-Eastern States generally refer to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The announcement connected the competition to the contribution and cultural traditions of this region. It also linked the selected performances with the wider Independence Day theme of unity and patriotism.
The Red Fort venue is significant in the context of Independence Day because the national celebrations on 15 August are associated with the ceremony held there in New Delhi. The opportunity mentioned by the organisers was therefore not only a prize but also a chance for selected winners to attend a major national event connected with the theme of the contest.
MyGov and the Ministry of DoNER congratulated the winners and participants for presenting the spirit of patriotism, unity and India’s cultural diversity through music, dance and poetry. The announcement also connected the entries with the cultural identity of North East India and the idea of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, a phrase used to emphasise unity in diversity across the country.
Source: MyGov Blog.