New Delhi: Over 30 million children across 28 states and 8 union territories participated in the second edition of Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 (DHO). India’s biggest programme is to assess awareness of hygiene practices through an exam was conducted from September 4-15 and the winners were declared on October 2, during the season 10 launch of the NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign.
The exam was divided into five levels, among the students of Class 1 – 8, containing Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) on health and hygiene. Students between class 1-2 appeared for level 1 examination; Level 2 exam was taken by the students of class 3-; Level 3 exam was for class 5-6, level 4 for class 7-8, and level 5 was taken by the students of 9 and 8.
A total of 15 students (three in each category) across the country, won in the five levels of the exams, and were awarded with cash prizes. The cash prize for the students with first division was Rs 50,000, followed by the second winner, who was awarded with the cash prize of Rs 35,000 and third with the cash prize of Rs 15,000.
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Here Are The Inspirational Stories Of Winners Of Dettol Hygiene Olympiad (DHO) 2.0:
Level 1 Winners
Somesh Pawar, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
The young student from the Primary School of Athali, Somesh bagged the first rank in the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 exam. He belongs to a family of farmers and to supplement the family’s income, Somesh’s father works additional shifts in a local hotel. Somesh’s head teacher, Anju, admires him not only for his scholastic prowess but also for his commitment to cleanliness and punctuality, values that he diligently upholds in his school life.
Somesh fervently prepared for a pivotal milestone: the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 exam, and rose to secure the first position.
Roshan Panika, Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh
Roshan Panika, a student FROM Kendra Vidyalaya School in Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh, secured the second position in the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad exam. Roshan’s father is a house painter, while his mother is a homemaker, who runs a tiny shop in their neighbourhood, to make ends meet and educate their young Roshan’s passion for learning is what drives his parent to work hard to ensure he gets the best possible education within their means.
Roshan and his family’s pursuit to fulfill their dreams through education is truly inspiring.
Avreet Kaur, Moga Punjab
Avreet Kaur, a student in Class 1, bagged the third position in the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 exam. A native of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Moga (Punjab), Avreet studies at The Akal Academy School, Baru Sahib, Sirmour District, Himachal Pradesh. Akal Academy is a trust where religious and modern education are imparted to the students.
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Level 2 Winners
Oviya, Meenatchipet, Puducherry
A student of Class 11 at the Government Primary School, Meenatchipet, Puducherry, Oviya, bagged the first position in the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0. The younger of the two siblings, Oviya is a good dancer and has won many prizes in school-level competitions. She is a good observer and a talented child at absorbing what she hears.
Naveen, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Naveen, a resident of Pugal, Bikaner, in the state of Rajasthan, a town near the Pakistan border, was chosen as the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 second winner. He is a student of Class 3 at the Mahatma Gandhi Government School in Pugal, Bikaner. Belonging to a low-income home, Naveen has seen the struggle of his parents, who work as daily wage labourers, to provide him with the best possible education. Despite the challenges of poverty and limited means, Naveen has been making his mark in his studies. It was his perseverance and tenacity that made him a winner in this year’s Olympiad.
Pari Sonker, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
Pari Sonker is a dedicated student at Gorakhnath Kanya Primary School in the heart of Nagar Kshetra, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. She resides with her loving family in the Mohalla of Humayun, Gorakhpurur. Pari’s father, Rahul Sonkar, earns his livelihood through catering work, a profession marked by its seasonal fluctuations, sometimes abundant with opportunities and at other times business can be quite lean. Amidst this uncertainty, Pari’s mother is the steadfast anchor of their home.
Pari not only shines in her academic pursuits but excels in them. She actively participates in school activities and proudly serves as a member of the school’s child cabinet. Her passion extends to advocating for hygiene practices among her fellow students and promoting habits like thorough handwashing and maintaining a clean and orderly school environment. Her determination is appreciated by her teachers.
Level 3 Winners
Sakshi, Kota, Rajasthan
Sakshi, a resident of Ladpura, Mawasa, Kota, Rajasthan, participated in the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 and came out as a winner. She is a student in Class 6 at the Government Upper Primary School. Her parents work as day labourers. She is part of a large family, which increases the hardship for day to day needs to be met. Her village, Ladpur, is 25 kilometres from Kota, and the community has few resources, but for someone so young her desire to learn makes her stand out.
Stanzin Puzang, Leh
Stanzin Puzang, a student of Class 5 at The Monastery Spituk, Leh, got selected as the second winner of the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad.
Shamanoor Ibrahimbhai Majgul, Jambur, Gujarat
In the heart of the untamed Gir forest lies Jambur. In this remote corner of Gujarat. Jambur village is a haven for the Siddi tribe, descendants of East Africans souls who were brought to India as slaves. The Siddis of Jambur remain deeply connected to the forest, relying on nature for their very sustenance. Education and opportunities are scarce for this marginalised community. In the midst of these adversities, young Shamanoor Majgul’s journey is filled with hardship but also hope.
Shamanoor is a spirited child with dreams as vast as the expanse of the forest that surrounds her. She has a gift of drawing, and the wilderness of Gir only fuels her imagination. Her parents, who work as casual labourers, are her unwavering pillars of support.
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Level 4 Winners
Safeena Batool, Amroha, Uttar Pradesh
Born in Mohalla Papdi, Naugawan Sadat, District Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, Safeena Batool is currently studying in Class 7 in Madrasa-Babul Ilm. She is a good student who scores outstanding marks in her madrasa every year. But Safeena’s father’s financial condition is not good, as he earns five thousand rupees per month working as a private teacher. Despite the hardships, his father, Ali Imran, encourages her to pursue higher studies and excel in the field of her choice. Safeena Batool bagged the first position in Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 exam.
Nikhil Chaube, Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh
Nikhil Chaube scored the second position for the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0 exam. He lives in a village named Jagdore, Nichlol in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh. He is studying at Shri Guru Gorakhnath Sanskrit School, Gorakhnath Mandir, Gorakhpur. The school is situated near the Nepal border, where tribal and financially poor students are taught free of cost.
V Saran Kumar, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
Saran Kumar is a student of Class 8, at the K A P Viswanathan Higher Secondary School, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. His father works as a salesman in an egg shop and his mother is a homemaker. Saran Kumar is an active participant in the school’s extra curricular activities and excels in his academics. He scored the third position in the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad exam.
Also Read: Pressing Need For Hygiene Education In Rural India: Jharkhand Chief Minister
Level 5 Winners
Dinesh, Nagarkurnool, Telangana
Dinesh is a story of courage and perseverance. He belongs to Primitive Tribal Group of the Chenchu community, an aboriginal tribe living in and around Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Nagarkurnool, Telangana. He lost his mother at the age of five in 2014. His financial background hasn’t been favourable enough to afford an education in a private school, and his father is struggling to make ends meet. While conducting the regular annual survey of tribal children, Mannanur School identified Dinesh among the ‘Out-of-School’ children, as it is very prevalent in tribal children. The school got him enrolled as a residential student due to the complex family situation.
Life hasn’t been just with Dinesh. He met with an unfortunate accident, and his face, chest, and hands suffered second-degree burns. Regardless of all the challenges life has thrown at him, Dinesh has emerged stronger and as a winner, including winning the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0.
Fozia Zehra, Ichigam Budgam, Jammu And Kashmir
The tranquil hills of Ichigam Budgam, nestled amidst the breathtaking beauty of Jammu and Kashmir, is the home of Fozia Zehra. Growing up in a modest family, she walked miles to reach her school. Lack of resources notwithstanding, from a young age Fozia’s parents enforced the value of education, health and cleanliness in her.
Health and hygiene are topics close to her heart, something Fozia believes can transform lives. The turning point arrived in the form of the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0, a part of the Dettol Banega Swasth India Initiative. Fozia saw in it not only an opportunity to test her knowledge but also a chance to spark a revolution of awareness within her community, by spreading awareness on health and hygiene within her family and her neighbours.
Pema Choden, Sikkim
The story of Pema Choden Tamang, a young student from a remote village in the Sikkim Himalayas, is a testament to the power of determination and resilience. She is a student at Uttarey Senior Secondary School. She belongs to the Tamang community, which falls under the Scheduled Tribe category.
Born into a humble family in a small and remote village, Pema finds inspiration in the stories of successful individuals who have risen from similar humble beginnings. Her father works as a driver, and her mother is in a temporary low-income job at her school.
With the values in her by her parents, works hard and understands the importance of education. She excels in her studies, and her curiosity and thirst for knowledge have led her to participate in many events and competitions, the most recent being the Dettol Hygiene Olympiad 2.0, in which she bagged the third position.
Also Read: Dettol Launches India’s First Hygiene Olympiad Under Its Dettol Banega Swasth India Initiative
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
