190 Students Felicitated at Talent Award Ceremony; Announcement to Take Medha Abhiyan to National Level
Varanasi, February 18, 2026: A Talent Felicitation Ceremony was organized by the Society for Social Action and Research (SAR Sansthan) at the District Library Auditorium, Ardali Bazar, Varanasi, on Wednesday. The event was held in collaboration with Art of Living and Murli Mitra Welfare Foundation.
The Chief Guest of the program was Prof. A.P. Pandey, former Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University and Professor in the Department of Economics at Banaras Hindu University. The ceremony was presided over by Prof. H.P. Adhikari from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. Distinguished guests included Prof. Vanshidhar Pandey, Dean (Academic) of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, and Dr. Sunita Chandra, Registrar of Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies.
This year, the “Acharya Brajvallabh Dwivedi Memorial Distinguished Service Award – Virasaten Banaras Samman” was presented to Shri Uday Prakash, Principal of S.B.P.G. College, Badgaon, for his remarkable contribution to the field of education, and to Shri Ashok Kapoor, Coordinator of INTACH Varanasi Chapter, for his contribution to cultural and social awareness. The “Late Badalev Prasad Tandon Memorial Saraswat Samman” was awarded to Vedic scholar Shri Raman Shastri.
Welcoming the guests, the Patron of the institution, Prof. Ram Sudhar Singh, addressed the gathering. Prof. Tarun Kumar Dwivedi highlighted the life and works of Acharya Brajvallabh Dwivedi and elaborated on the objectives of the organization. Industrialist Shri Rakesh Tandon introduced the Foundation.
In his address, Chief Guest Prof. A.P. Pandey stated that competitions help develop students’ mental abilities and motivate them to excel. He emphasized the need to maintain a balance between AI and IQ in today’s era and appreciated SAR Sansthan for playing a significant role in enhancing students’ intellectual development.
Distinguished guest Prof. Vanshidhar Pandey advised students to contribute to nation-building and uphold unity and moral values. Dr. Sunita Chandra encouraged students to balance academics with cultural and social development. Shri K.S. Parihar stressed the importance of fostering social responsibility among students.
In his presidential address, Prof. H.P. Adhikari remarked that education shapes a child, while society gives direction to that development. Director of the collaborating foundation, Shri Sandeep Srivastava, announced that SAR Sansthan and Murli Mitra Welfare Foundation will jointly expand the Medha Abhiyan to the national level.
During the program, the book “Prayagraj: History in the Mirror” authored by Shri Gopal Krishna Srivastava, an officer of State Bank of India, was also released.
At the event, 45 students from various schools received cash prizes, gifts, shields, and certificates on the spot. Additionally, 190 students from 30 schools were felicitated. Meritorious students from Classes 5 to 10 were presented with top awards.
The program was conducted by Dr. Rakeshwari Prasad, and the vote of thanks was delivered by the institution’s Vice President and meteorologist, Prof. Manoj Kumar Srivastava. Several educationists, social workers, and distinguished citizens were present at the ceremony.
