The sixth Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) National Cultural, Literary and Arts Festival — Udbhav 2025 — concluded with grand celebrations at KL University, Vaddeswaram, Tadepalli Mandal. The three-day event showcased the rich cultural diversity of India’s tribal communities, echoing the spirit of unity in diversity. Telangana secured the Overall Championship, marking a remarkable performance across all categories.
Telangana Leads With 28 Medals
A total of 1,588 students from across the country participated in 49 events. Among them, 300 students won gold, silver and bronze medals. Telangana topped the medal tally with 11 golds, along with 10 silver and 7 bronze medals, taking the state’s total medal count to 28.
Andhra Pradesh Stands Seventh
The host state, Andhra Pradesh, secured three gold, five silver, and four bronze medals, finishing in seventh place. Despite not topping the table, AP’s students delivered impressive performances across various cultural and literary categories.
Jharkhand and Odisha Claim Second and Third
Jharkhand secured the second position with five gold medals in the cultural competitions organized in Udbhav-2025. Odisha secured the third position with four gold medals. However, in terms of total medals, Odisha won more medals than Jharkhand. Jharkhand won a total of 14 medals, while Odisha won 19 medals.
Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Gujarat finished in the fourth, fifth and sixth places, with medal counts of 14, 10 and 15 respectively.
Ministers Felicitate Winners
The award ceremony was filled with joy and applause as Ministers Kandula Durgesh (Tourism, Culture & Cinematography), Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy (Social Welfare & Village/Ward Secretariat Departments), and Gummidi Sandhya Rani (Tribal Welfare, Women & Child Welfare) presented medals to the winners.
Senior officials including Mallikarjun Naik, Secretary of Social and Tribal Welfare Departments, Director Bhargavi, and EMRS Joint Commissioner Bipin Chandra Raturi also participated in the ceremony.
A Festival That Celebrated Tribal Heritage
Udbhav 2025 highlighted the colourful traditions, art forms and languages of tribal communities. Performances like Gujarat’s famous Garba, Himachal Pradesh’s traditional Kinari dance, Arunachal Pradesh’s Ponung dance by Adi tribes, along with English and Hindi elocution, debates, spell bee competitions, folk songs, instrumental concerts, mimicry, theatre, classical and semi-classical music events drew huge appreciation.
Visual arts, traditional storytelling, devotional singing, and instrumental performances with harmonium, tabla and dholak showcased the extraordinary talent of EMRS students.
Every Child Is a Winner
The festival resonated with emotional skits, culturally rich performances, and artistic presentations that celebrated tribal life and values. Despite the competition, every participating student stood out with confidence and creativity. Their performances proved that languages may differ, but emotions and expressions unite everyone.
With its vibrant energy and cultural splendour, Udbhav 2025 concluded on a memorable note, successfully promoting tribal heritage on a national stage and inspiring young tribal students across India.
