Northeast NSS Festival 2026 concludes on a vibrant note in Sikkim

GANGTOK, :The five-day Northeast NSS Festival 2026 concluded with a vibrant closing ceremony at SC Bhawan here today. NSS volunteers, programme officers and officials from across the eight North eastern States participated in the fest.

Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the festival celebrated youth leadership, national integration and cultural diversity.

The closing ceremony was graced by Sikkim Sports Development Board chairperson RingzingWangyalChopelas the chief guest while Sports & Youth Affairs OSD GovindPandyal, attended as the guest of honour.

Similarly, Sports & Youth Affairs director R.B. Biswakarma, Arjuna AwardeeJaslalPradhan,Dronacharya Awardee SandhayaGurungwere present as special guests.

The final day began with an informative session on cybercrime by DIGTenzingLoden Lepcha of the Crime Branch, Sikkim Police, who highlighted emerging cyber threats and stressed the importance of digital vigilance among youth.

This was followed by a session on biodiversity and waste management by Prof. BhojrajAcharyaof Sikkim University, who encouraged sustainable environmental practices and ecological responsibility among young people.

The event also featured colourful cultural performances by participants from the eight Northeastern States, showcasing the region's rich cultural heritage and fostering a spirit of unity and mutual appreciation in keeping with the NSS motto, “Not Me, But You."

The festival concluded with the prize distribution ceremony for various competitions. Nagaland won the Quiz Competition, followed by Arunachal Pradesh in second place and Mizoram in third.

Meghalaya secured first place in the PPT Competition, with Sikkim finishing second and Nagaland third. In the Cultural Exchange category, Arunachal Pradesh emerged as the winner, while Mizoram and Tripura secured second and third places, respectively.

The coveted Best Contingent Award was presented to Tripura for its outstanding participation, discipline and overall performance throughout the festival.

Addressing the gathering, chief guest RingzingWangyalChopel said the Northeast's rich cultural diversity is a source of strength for India's unity. He noted that young people across the region share a common aspiration to build a stronger nation before officially declaring the Northeast NSS Festival 2026 closed.