NIIT MindChampions Academy - Chess Master 2009, North Zone Winners Felicitated by World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand

• Pawan Jeet from  Govt. Junior High School, Sadarpur, Noida  and  Tejas Arora from Springdales Senior School Amritsar Adjudged as Winners
• Over 4.5  Lakh  Students Across India Compete for the Coveted Chess Master 2009 Title
  Online Survey Highlights the Positive Impact of Chess on Academics

New Delhi, December 23, 2009: The winners of North Zone Finals of NIIT MindChampions Academy (MCA), were felicitated by World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand at New Delhi today. Shri Parimal Rai, Chairman, New Delhi Municipal Council, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest along with Smt Mamta Aggarwal, Director Education, New Delhi Municipal Council Pawan Jeet from Govt. Junior High School, Sadarpur, Noida and Tejas Arora from Springdales Senior School Amritsar were adjudged as the winners of North Zone Finals of the NIIT MindChampions Academy -  Chess Master 2009.
NIIT MindChampions Academy is a joint initiative by NIIT, the leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s largest IT Trainer, and World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand to initiate young minds into the World of Chess.
This year NIIT MindChampions Academy has witnessed participation of over 4.5 lakh school students across India in this competition. School students who are members in 6,282 MCA clubs have been actively playing Chess since April 2009 to compete for the Chess Master 2009 title. This year, the goal was to “go green”. The complete implementation including scheduling, monitoring and playing the game has been done electronically under the supervision of facilitators from NIIT.
In response to an online survey conducted by MCA this year, over 8,000 children have mentioned that Chess has helped them perform better in academics, especially in Science and Mathematics. The game seemed to have improved their patience and understanding of the subjects. This has motivated children to take up Chess before school hours or during the breaks.
The North Zone level contest witnessed widespread participation by nearly 30,000 students from over 400 Government and Private Schools.

Commenting on the success of NIIT MindChampions Academy, Viswanathan Anand remarked, “It is heartening to note that young children are taking up the game of Chess enthusiastically and mastering the strategies of the game. I heartily congratulate both the winners and wish them a bright future ahead.”
“I am confident that the grit and determination that these young children have displayed will help them excel in academics as well.  I am delighted to see that NIIT MindChampions Academy has touched a huge number of children across the country and initiated them into the game of Chess. Technology has also played a key role in reaching out to children in every corner of the country for introducing them to Chess”.

Shri Parimal Rai, Chairman, New Delhi Municipal Council, recognized the commendable performance of the young MindChampions in the game of Chess and encouraged them to continue to exhibit the same zeal and brilliance. He said that the budding talented minds need to be mentored and guided and that NIIT MindChampions Academy is offering the aspiring young Chess players an ideal platform to learn and grow.

Speaking on the occasion, P Rajendran, Chief Operating Officer, NIIT Ltd. said, “We are living in a highly competitive world and it is important for our children to learn to handle challenges and competition early in life. NIIT MindChampions Academy (MCA) introduces young minds to the game of Chess, as studies have shown that Chess helps deepen the concentration and sharpen mental abilities. The positive impact of the game has now been validated by an online survey conducted by MCA, wherein over 8,000 children claimed that Chess has helped them perform better in academics, especially in Science and Mathematics.”

The winners of the North Zone Finals of NIIT MindChampions Academy- Chess Master 2009 Pawan Jeet from Govt. Junior High School, Sadarpur, Noida and Tejas Arora from Springdales Senior School Amritsar will represent the North Zone at the National Finals. The winners will also get an opportunity to play Chess with the Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand. The National winner will be felicitated by the World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand at a mega event for National Finals in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on December 24, 2009.
Launched in 2002 with an objective of initiating students into the world of Chess, NIIT MindChampions Academy has commenced a movement that has now touched more than 8.5 lakh students from over 7,000 schools across India. World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has personally travelled to Agartala, Guwahati, Raipur, Patna, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and other cities across India, spreading the message and motivating the school students to start playing Chess. NIIT MindChampions Academy conducts an Annual Chess event, known as Chess Master for these school children across 16 states in the NIIT network.
NDMC strives to make its schools the best in education and facilities. In this regard, NDMC partnered with NIIT to provide the best of computer education and training to NDMC school students. NIIT’s customized training programs will open new vistas of teaching and learning for Municipal School staff and students, and will integrate technology in teaching-learning process. 5 NDMC schools also received ISO 2009 certification.