Annu of GJUS&T Hisar crowned Champion of Print Olympiad 2024

In an extraordinary display of talent, dedication, and sheer passion, Annu, a brilliant student from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology (GJUS&T), Hisar, was crowned the winner of the prestigious Print Olympiad 2024. Annu’s achievement is a testament to her hard work and the relentless pursuit of excellence in the field of printing technology. She was awarded a cash prize of ₹1,00,000 and a certificate declaring her the ‘Top Print Student of India.’ The momentous occasion was graced by the esteemed presence of Prof. Pratibha Goyal, Vice Chancellor of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya, and Prof. Sanjay Srivastava, Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, who together presented the award to the young champion.

The national finale of the sixth edition of the Print Olympiad—India’s grandest talent hunt for emerging print technologists—was held at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya. This prestigious event coincided with the International Conference on Sustainable Printing and Packaging, bringing together great minds in the printing industry. An expert panel of five distinguished judges from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India was tasked with the momentous responsibility of selecting the winner from the nation’s top print students.

The Offset Printers Association (OPA), Ludhiana, in collaboration with universities and printing institutions across India, has been organizing this prestigious competition since 2014. The Print Olympiad meticulously selects the best print students from four zones—East, West, North, and South—during rigorous preliminary rounds. From these regions, the finest talents advance to the national finale, where only one emerges victorious.

In her comprehensive report, Dr TKS Lakshmi Priya, Chief Coordinator of the Print Olympiad 2024, expressed her heartfelt admiration for the participants and coordinators alike. She explained, “The preliminary online tests in each region served as the gateway for the top students to compete in the regional finales, where the most talented print students of the region were selected. This year’s North Zone finale was hosted by Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, while the South Zone finale took place at Anna University, Chennai. PVG COET, Pune, hosted the West Zone finale, and the East Zone finale was held at RIPT, Kolkata.” The four finalists at the national level were: Praveen Kumar M S from Anna University, Chennai; Apeksha Vijay Deshmukh from PVG COET, Pune; Shadab Alam from Jadavpur University, Kolkata; and Annu from GJUS&T, Hisar.

The jury, composed of international and national experts, brought their profound experience and insight to select the ‘Top Print Student of the Country for 2024.’ Among them were Ahmad Mughira Nurhani, President of the Indonesian Print Media Association; Peter Deckker, past president of the Sri Lanka Association of Printers; Beer Bahadur Singh, Head of Printing at Government Polytechnic, Patna; Prof. Diptendu Chowdhury, former Principal of RIPT, Kolkata; and Anubhava Shiksharthi, a renowned print consultant from Nagpur.

Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra, the visionary behind this revolutionary event, reflected with pride on the journey that began in January 2024. “From the curtain raiser to the grand finale, 12 competitions of varying levels were organized online, involving seven universities and printing institutions, and guided by over 10 dedicated printing educators from across the nation. More than 894 aspiring students registered from every corner of India, and it is these brilliant minds that make Print Olympiad such a revered event in our industry,” Prof. Chopra remarked. He emphasized how Print Olympiad has become the most anticipated event for printing students, offering a platform for them to showcase their talent on a national scale.

The success of this year’s event is owed to the tireless efforts of coordinators from various institutions and regions, including Shankhya Debnath and Prof. Arpitam Chatterjee for the East Zone, Kanwardeep Sharma and Sandeep Boora for the North Zone, Dr M. Kanchana and Dr M. Nandakumar for the South Zone, and Prof. Madhura Mahajan and Prof. Parmeshwar Shinde for the West Zone. Their dedication, alongside the leadership of Dr TKS Lakshmi Priya as the Chief Coordinator, has ensured that the sixth edition of the Print Olympiad was nothing short of spectacular.

Annu’s victory is not only a personal triumph but also a shining example of the boundless opportunities that await talented students in the ever-evolving field of printing. Her success at the Print Olympiad 2024 serves as an inspiration to aspiring students across the country, urging them to dream big, work hard, and achieve greatness.