Sainik School Nalanda Celebrates 24th Annual Day: 23 NDA Qualifiers, Sports Champions and House Trophies
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📅 Oct 25, 2026
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⏱️ 5 min read
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📅 Oct 25, 2026
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⏱️ 5 min read
Last verified: 25 October 2026. All details in this article are ✅ CONFIRMED from The Times of India report on the event, published 25 October 2026 at 5:37 PM IST. The 23 NDA qualifiers match the school’s earlier NDA result announcement, covered separately on this site.
Photo: Pexels
Sainik School Nalanda celebrated its 24th Annual Day on Saturday, 25 October 2026, with grandeur and patriotic fervour. Nalanda MP Kaushlendra Kumar — who is also a member of the school’s Local Board of Administration — attended as chief guest, while Principal Colonel Bhupender Kumar welcomed the chief guest and dignitaries.
The programme began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, followed by the presentation of the annual report by School Cadet Captain Ritu Raj. The report covered the school’s achievements across academics, sports and co-curricular activities — and for parents weighing up Sainik School for their own child, it is a useful snapshot of what a year inside one of these schools actually produces.
The annual report highlighted that 23 cadets qualified for the UPSC NDA written examination in 2026. Those cadets are now eligible for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interviews, the next stage towards the National Defence Academy. This is the same group of 23 qualifiers the school announced earlier in October — the annual day simply put the achievement in front of parents and guests, alongside the rest of the year’s results.
For families, the number is worth reading honestly. Twenty-three qualifiers from one school in a single year is a strong result, but it is also a reminder of the funnel: qualifying the written exam is the first of several stages, and the SSB stage is where many strong candidates are filtered out. The school said special SSB orientation classes would be organised for the qualifiers.
The annual day was not only about exam results. The girls’ basketball team and the school quiz team emerged champions at the Group-Level Games held at Sainik School Tilaiya, and both will represent Group ‘D’ at the All India Sainik Schools National Games 2026-27. The volleyball team had already secured second position in the 2025-26 National Games.
Individual honours went to Cadet Anshika, named Best Player, and Cadet Shiva Kumar Majhi, who received the Best Athlete Award. In the cultural programme, titled “Mauryanjan”, cadets performed dance, music, a skit and mime. Ajatshatru House won the Academic Trophy, while Ashoka House received the Champion of Champions Trophy. Cadet Utkarsh Raj and Cadet Anand were felicitated as the Class X and Class XII toppers respectively.
The celebrations were preceded by a run of build-up events: an exhibition, a dramatics competition, a special assembly and a parent-teacher meeting.
Annual days like this one are the most public window into a Sainik School’s year, and Nalanda’s 2026 edition shows the balance the schools aim for: exam outcomes, team sport, house competition and cultural performance in one programme. Two things stand out for parents of prospective cadets.
First, the girls’ teams are now winning at group level — relevant because girls’ admission to Sainik Schools, and the 10 percent girls’ intake, is still new enough that many parents ask whether girls get the same sporting platform. At Nalanda, the answer this year is visible on the trophy table.
Second, the house system is doing real work. The Academic Trophy and the Champion of Champions Trophy are not decorations; houses compete across the year in academics, sport and co-curricular events, and that year-long rivalry is part of how the schools build the teamwork the SSB later tests.
| Event | What to watch |
|---|---|
| All India Sainik Schools National Games 2026-27 | Nalanda’s girls’ basketball and quiz teams represent Group ‘D’ |
| NDA (II) 2026 SSB interviews | The 23 written qualifiers face the SSB stage |
| AISSEE 2027 | The entrance exam for the next Nalanda intake; notification still awaited from NTA |
When did Sainik School Nalanda celebrate its 24th Annual Day?
On Saturday, 25 October 2026, with Nalanda MP Kaushlendra Kumar attending as chief guest and Principal Colonel Bhupender Kumar welcoming the dignitaries.
How many Nalanda cadets cleared the NDA written exam in 2026?
23 cadets qualified for the UPSC NDA written examination in 2026, as reported in the school’s annual report presented at the annual day.
Which Nalanda teams won at the Group-Level Games?
The girls’ basketball team and the school quiz team emerged champions at the Group-Level Games held at Sainik School Tilaiya, and will represent Group ‘D’ at the All India Sainik Schools National Games 2026-27.
Which houses won the annual day trophies?
Ajatshatru House won the Academic Trophy, while Ashoka House received the Champion of Champions Trophy. Cadet Utkarsh Raj and Cadet Anand were felicitated as the Class X and Class XII toppers.
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