Paris: Veteran table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal and ace badminton player PV Sindhu were the flagbearers for India at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, held on the river Seine. This event marked the first time in Olympic history that the opening ceremony took place outside a stadium, as athletes paraded along the iconic river in Paris.
The Indian men were clad in kurta bundi sets while the women wore matching saris, reflecting India’s tricolour flag. The outfits, which bore traditional ikat-inspired prints and Banarasi brocade, have been designed by Tarun Tahiliani.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, expressed her pride and excitement for her third appearance at the Games, hoping to bring back another medal for India.
“I am super proud to be here at Olympic Village. This will be my third Olympics, and really excited for the competition to begin. At the same time, I will be the flag bearer for the Indian contingent and I am super proud... I will be holding the bigger flag at the opening ceremony and I hope, with the same excitement, I do well in the competition and get a medal back to India," Sindhu told JioCinema ahead of the ceremony.
Two-time Commonwealth Games singles Gold medalist, Sharath Kamal, participating in his fifth and final Olympics, shared his enthusiasm for the ceremony and the competition ahead.
“It's been a moment that I've been dreaming and visualising about, for the last 3-4 months. I'm pretty excited that I'm going to live that moment and especially that I'm going to do that with PV Sindhu. So, it's a fantastic moment, I would say,” he said.
The floating parade featured over 1,000 athletes traveling on around 100 boats, passing notable landmarks in Paris such as Notre Dame,Pont des Arts and Pont Neuf.
The Indian contingent, comprising 117 athletes (70 men and 47 women), will compete in 69 medal events across 16 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, and more.
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Bengaluru: The Azim Premji Foundation has announced the Azim Premji Scholarship for the academic year 2025–26, aimed at supporting up to 2.5 lakh girls across 18 Indian states who are pursuing higher education after completing school. An official release from the foundation also stated that in the coming years the scholarship will be implemented across the country.
When to Apply:
According to a release from the foundation, the application process for the Azim Premji Scholarship 2025–26 will commence in September 2025. “Details of the program and any changes in the program design or coverage will be notified at the start of the application process,” the release added.
Where to Apply:
According to the release, the scholarship this year will be implemented across 18 states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Students residing in these states and enrolled in recognised higher education institutions will be eligible to apply.
How to Apply:
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Girls who have completed their Class 10 and 12 education in government (public) schools and have secured admission in a bona fide higher education institution either a government-run college/university or select private institutions can apply for the scholarship.
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Once the application portal opens in September, students will be required to submit personal details, educational qualifications, proof of admission, and bank account information.
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The scholarship amount ₹30,000 per year will be transferred directly into the students' bank accounts in two instalments each academic year, read the release.