The Grand Finale of Sur Sangam – Tea Garden Student Talent Hunt, a state-wide music talent hunt and mentorship initiative for students from tea garden communities, will be held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati on February 10. The initiative is being implemented by the The Hans Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Secondary Education, Government of Assam, reaffirming a shared commitment to holistic education and creative empowerment among tea garden communities. The Grand Finale will be graced by Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu as chief guest, while renowned Indian playback singer and Padma Shri awardee Suresh Wadkar will attend as the Guest of Honour. Wadkar will also offer advanced mentorship to the top five winners at his music academy in Mumbai.
Sur Sangam – Tea Garden Student Talent Hunt was rolled out across 54 Model Schools located in tea garden belts of Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts under The Hans Foundation’s Uttam Xikhya programme, which focuses on improving access, quality and outcomes of education for tea tribe children.
The programme currently supports 54 Model Schools and is slated to expand to 101 schools by April this year.
The initiative follows a review meeting chaired by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier last year, which emphasised the need for structured co-curricular and vocational activities, including music education, to ensure the all-round development of students from tea garden communities. Acting on this guidance, formal music education programmes were introduced across all participating Model Schools, with dedicated music teachers appointed at each institution. Over the past several months, more than 14,000 tea tribe students have actively participated in weekly, bi-weekly and tri-weekly music classes conducted across these schools.
The talent hunt progressed through three audition rounds held in Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh, followed by a Pre-State Round in Dibrugarh. After multiple levels of evaluation, 16 students were selected for the Grand Finale. The finalists are presently in Guwahati, undergoing intensive grooming and practice sessions under expert guidance, as part of a structured mentorship process designed to prepare them for the final performance. The top five winners of Sur Sangam – Tea Garden Student Talent Hunt will receive education scholarships up to the post-graduation level, along with advanced mentorship at Suresh Wadkar’s Ajivasan Music Academy in Mumbai, in addition to other awards and recognitions.
