Guwahati: Two Class IX students of St Vivekananda English Academy, Guwahati, participated in the ‘Know Your Leader’ programme at Parliament on Oct 2 to mark the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.Shivraj Biswas and Debanjan Chakraborty represented their school at the programme organised by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) of the Lok Sabha Secretariat in collaboration with the ministries of education and youth affairs.Debanjan was among 12 students selected from across the country to deliver a speech in Parliament’s Central Hall after clearing an audition conducted by the central organising team in Delhi.“To stand at the microphone where our founders debated the fundamental tenets of our republic and articulate the vision of our generation was an unforgettable, humbling responsibility,” Debanjan said.The visit offered the students an opportunity to experience India’s parliamentary heritage first-hand. Sitting in the Central Hall, where the Constituent Assembly framed the Constitution, they witnessed the historical significance of the institution. A tour of the new Parliament building, including the public galleries of both Houses and the Sengol placed beside the Speaker’s chair, further enriched their experience.“What our students absorbed within these corridors cannot be taught inside textbooks alone,” said principal Mitra Som Saha.The duo have also made their mark in the field of science. Mentored by teacher Deep Chetry, principal Mitra Som Saha, Sunandan Baruah and his team at the Centre for Nanotechnology, Assam Downtown University, Shivraj and Debanjan secured first prize at the Rajya Stariya Bal Vaigyanik Pradarshani. They later represented Assam at the 52nd Rashtriya Bal Vaigyanik Pradarshani in Bhopal, where their project featured among the top 40 selected by NCERT for patent consideration.
