From a Walk to the Studio, to a Voice on Air,Independence Day Competitions 2026 organized by VIT Community Radio 90.8Mhz-Vellore

It was a quiet evening in Gudiyattam when a father decided that his son should not miss an opportunity. A young schoolboy, Mst. Vikram D, Grade 10, Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Nellorepet, Gudiyattam, Tamil Nadu, wanted to participate in the Independence Day Competitions 2026 organised by VIT Community Radio 90.8. His father, a simple and enthusiastic parent, was equally excited to see his son step onto a new platform and discover what he could do.

The competition had invited school students from across Vellore District. What began as a simple registration would eventually become a memorable journey for Vikram, one that took him from his school and hometown to a radio studio, from nervous anticipation to confidence, and finally to the Independence Day stage at VIT. VIT Community Radio 90.8 organised the Independence Day Competitions from 27 July to 5 August 2026, bringing together students from 30 schools across Vellore. The competitions covered eight categories: Tamil Talk, English Talk, Tamil Song, English Song, Tamil Drama, English Drama, Junior Quiz and Senior Quiz. In total, 233 performances comprising 441 students participated in the competitions. For Vikram, the journey began with a phone call.

His father contacted the VIT Community Radio team to understand how to register and how his son could participate. The team guided them through the registration process in the dedicated web portal designed by RJ Daniel exclusively for this event. Vikram registered for Talk in Tamil and received the participation code: 2026-VIT/CR/IDC/TT067.

Soon, the competition days arrived. Unlike a conventional school competition where participants gather at a common venue at the same time, the Independence Day Competitions offered students an experience of actually coming into a radio studio, preparing themselves and recording their performances. Participants selected their preferred booking slots and arrived at the allotted time. The Talk, Song and Radio Drama performances were recorded at the VIT Community Radio studio by the Community Radio Club students and later sent to the respective judges for evaluation. For some participants, the experience went beyond simply speaking into a microphone. Students performing Radio Drama even arrived in costumes, carrying their characters from imagination into the studio. Then came Day 7 of the competition. Vikram’s allotted slot was at 7.00 p.m. His father picked him up from Gudiyattam in an auto rickshaw and began the journey towards VIT, Vellore. But there was an unexpected turn.

Another event was taking place at the Vellore District Sports Complex, and the auto rickshaw driver, affectionately remembered as the Anna, took them there and left. With the studio still some distance away, Vikram’s father once again contacted the VIT Community Radio team. The team guided them towards the studio. The journey continued on foot, taking almost 30 minutes. For a young student about to enter a radio studio for the first time, such a journey could easily have become stressful. But once Vikram reached the studio, the atmosphere changed.

The Student RJs welcomed him, encouraged him and helped him relax. The microphone, headphones, studio environment and recording process were no longer unfamiliar. He began to understand that radio was not merely about reading words from a sheet. It was about feeling the content, communicating with the listener and allowing one's personality to come through the voice. And then, Vikram performed.

His father also shared more about his son during the interaction. He spoke about how he encouraged Vikram in activities such as yoga and computer language learning, reflecting the kind of support that parents quietly provide behind every young achiever. The VIT Community Radio team suggested that Vikram continue visiting the studio, learn more about radio presentation and develop his communication skills. With the recording successfully completed, the father and son left the studio with a sense of accomplishment. But the story was not over.

Behind every competition lies another important process, the careful work of evaluation. The performances were assessed by a panel of judges who contributed their time, expertise and guidance across the Talk, Song and Drama categories. When the results were announced, Vikram’s voice had made its mark. He was selected for a Special Mention in the Talk in Tamil category.

On 15 August 2026, during the Independence Day Flag Hoisting Ceremony at VIT, Vikram received his medal and a certificate of achievement from the VIT Core Committee. The moment became even more memorable when he had the opportunity to be photographed with the VIT Core Committee and the chief guest, Mr. Rohit Ramesh, Director, The Hindu Group. For Vikram and his father, the medal represented much more than a competition result. It represented a journey that began with a phone call, followed by a registration form and a participation code, leading to a long journey from Gudiyattam and a 30-minute walk to the studio. It was the journey of a nervous young voice finding confidence behind a microphone, and finally earning a place on the Independence Day stage. That is the quiet power of Community Radio. That is the quiet power of Community Radio.

The Independence Day Competitions 2026 were not merely about identifying winners. It created a platform where school students could speak, sing, perform, think, compete and discover their own voices. The event brought together 441 students from 30 schools, celebrating India's freedom through creativity, culture and community participation. For every Vikram, there was a story. For every participant, there was a first microphone experience, a new friend, a new skill or simply the courage to stand before an audience and say, “This is my voice.”

The celebration continued beyond the competition venue. From 15 August 2026, the competition recordings began reaching listeners through traditional radio as well as VIT Community Radio’s digital platforms, including Spotify and YouTube. The students therefore did not simply participate in an Independence Day competition. They became part of the radio archive. Their voices, preserved through broadcast and digital platforms, can continue to travel far beyond the walls of their schools and the boundaries of Vellore. And somewhere among those voices is Vikram’s, a young boy from Gudiyattam who walked to a radio studio with his father, found his confidence behind a microphone, and walked back carrying a story worth remembering.

At VIT Community Radio 90.8, Independence was not only celebrated with a flag in the sky, but with the freedom to speak, to participate, and to be heard. Because sometimes, the most powerful expression of freedom is simply giving a voice to those waiting to be heard.

News Published by: VIT Community Radio 90.8, Editor: FM.P.Vijayakumar, AirMedia News.