Kolkata: VKV Nirjuli from Arunachal Pradesh emerged champion at the Eastern Zone Final of WWF-India’s Wild Wisdom Global Challenge (WWGC) 2026, securing a place in the national final scheduled for November 18.Hosted at the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM) in Kolkata, the zonal final saw five schools from eastern and northeastern India compete in the annual wildlife and nature-based quiz. This year’s edition centred on the theme ‘From the Coastline to the Sea Floor – An Ocean Odyssey’, encouraging students to explore marine biodiversity, ocean ecosystems and the need to protect the seas.Initiated in 2008, the Wild Wisdom Global Challenge is WWF-India’s flagship environmental education initiative, aimed at building conservation awareness among young learners through an interactive quiz platform.The event was attended by Surajit Roy, additional director and special secretary, state school education department, and Neela Majumdar of Earth Day Network. The quiz was hosted by Kunal Mondal.Nearly 70,000 students from schools across West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand participated in the 2026 edition, highlighting the growing reach of the initiative. The national final on November 18 will determine the team that represents India at the international final.India has won the international championship for three consecutive years. WWF-India hopes to sustain this record by engaging more young people in understanding and championing the conservation of the natural world.
