Aruj Sahai Shines at the 14th National Schools Chess Championship
Aruj Sahai, a Grade 3 Sariska student at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad, continues to demonstrate exceptional consistency, focus, and competitive maturity across the chess circuit. His performances reflect sustained effort, strategic clarity, and the confidence to compete across age categories.
Latest National Achievement
14th National Schools Chess Championship | Guwahati, Assam
Competing in the Under-9 Open category, Aruj scored 6/9 points, securing an overall rank of 22nd among 133 participants from across the country. He also emerged as the highest-ranked player from Haryana in his age category.
With this performance, Aruj is expected to receive his first FIDE classical rating, a significant milestone that marks his growing presence on the national chess stage.
Faridabad District Chess Championship – AFCA
Aruj competed across two age groups over consecutive days, delivering strong results against highly competitive fields:
- Under-11 Category | 5 April 2025
Scored 4 wins out of 6 games, finishing 5th among 37 players, earning a medal while playing in a higher age group. - Under-9 Category | 6 April 2025
Scored 4.5/6, finishing 4th out of 47 participants, securing another medal.
The awards were presented by Cabinet Minister Mr. Vipul Goyal.
Key Tournament Performances (2025)
- The Gambits Cup, Delhi | 30 November
Finished as U8 Champion, winning all 6 rounds in the Rapid category. - Late Shri R. N. Sood Memorial Inter-School Chess, Faridabad | 1 November
Secured 3rd position in the U9 category with a 4/5 score among 33 participants. - SRCA Halloween Special U8 Rapid | 26 October
Finished 4th, scoring 4/5 in a field of 28 players. - GSA Chess Festival U10 Rapid | 12 October
Finished 4th, winning 3 out of 4 games while competing in a higher age group. - C. S. Sharma Memorial U9 Chess | 5 October
Earned 2nd position, scoring 4/5 among 30+ participants. - SNS Wildcats Cup | 12 September
Finished 2nd in the U10 category, competing against players from all three Shiv Nadar School campuses.
State and National Pathway Performances
- SGFI State Championship | 8 November
Representing Faridabad district, Aruj’s team secured 2nd position at the Haryana State SGFI Championship. - SGFI District Championship (State Selection) | 21 August
Competing in the U11 category, Aruj scored 5/6, finishing among the Top 5 out of 65+ players, and qualified for the Haryana State SGFI Championship. - CBSE North Zone II Games | 13–15 August, Charkhi Dadri
Selected for the U11 SNS Faridabad chess team, Aruj delivered a strong 5.5/6 performance (5 wins, 1 draw). His contribution helped the team finish 5th among 24 schools across North Zone II.
Recent Achievement | January 2026
8th Open Rapid Chess Tournament | Faridabad | 11 January 2026
Organised by Divine Chess, this Open Rapid tournament saw participation across multiple age groups. Competing in the Under-9 category, Aruj Sahai delivered a confident and composed performance to secure 1st Prize in his age category. He was awarded a trophy along with a cash prize of ₹1,100, further reinforcing his strong competitive form and continued upward trajectory in the chess circuit.
Aruj’s journey reflects discipline, resilience, and a genuine love for the game. We are proud of his achievements and look forward to seeing his chess journey grow from strength to strength.
District Champion – Pranit Rastogi (U-9 Chess, 2025–26)
Pranit Rastogi (Grade 3) has been crowned the District Champion in the Under-9 Chess category for the academic year 2025–26!
At the District Chess Championship held on 6th April 2025 at Grand Columbus School, Sector 16, Faridabad, Pranit delivered a stellar performance—remaining undefeated in all six of his games, a distinction no other player from Faridabad achieved in his category.
He was felicitated by Shri Vipul Goel, Cabinet Minister of Haryana, in recognition of his outstanding achievement.
Congratulations, Pranit! Your dedication, discipline, and passion for chess continue to make us proud.
Congratulations to Avviraaj Kalia and His Father
Avviraaj Kalia, a proud student of Shiv Nadar School Faridabad, along with his father Mr. Akhil Kalia, showcased exceptional skill and teamwork at the Parent-Child Golf Tournament held today at Delhi Golf Club.
They not only secured First Place in their category, but also emerged as the overall winners of the event with an outstanding score of 12 under in 20 holes, including a thrilling 2-hole playoff.
What an inspiring display of talent, discipline, and family spirit—Congratulations to the Kalia family for this remarkable win!
Jayansh Dhingra Shines at Faridabad District Chess Tournament
Jayansh Dhingra from Grade 7 Gir, who delivered an exceptional performance at the Faridabad District Chess Tournament by participating in two higher age categories – Under-13 and Under-15.
Despite the tough competition and intense tie-breaker scenarios, Jayansh displayed remarkable strategic skill and composure, securing:
- 1st Position in the Under-15 category
- 2nd Position in the Under-13 category
Both victories were hard-fought, with the final rankings determined through tie-break points, showcasing how closely contested the tournament was.
This isn’t Jayansh’s first moment of glory—he previously won the Under-11 category last year, triumphing with a perfect score by winning all 6 matches.
Jayansh’s consistent performances across multiple age groups are a testament to his dedication, sharp analytical thinking, and love for the game of chess.
Mahira Dua Secures 6th Position in U-11 Girls Chess Category
Mahira Dua from Grade 5 Sariska for securing 6th position in the Under-11 Girls category at the Faridabad District Chess Tournament. Her dedication and composure on the chessboard reflect her growing confidence. We’re excited to see her evolve as a young chess enthusiast.
Tisha Lakhani Shines at District-Level Chess Tournament
Tisha Lakhani, a student of Grade 6 Ranthambore at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad, secured the 2nd position in the Under-11 category at the District-Level Chess Tournament held at DPSG, Faridabad on 16th April 2025.
This remarkable achievement is a testament to her sharp analytical thinking, dedication and growing passion for the game.
We applaud her performance and look forward to her continued success in the world of chess.
Tiara Jain Shines at Faridabad District Chess Championship 2025
Tiara Jain, a student of MYP 1 at Shiv Nadar School, showcased her talent at the Faridabad District Chess Championship 2025. At just 10 years of age, Tiara secured an impressive 5th position in the Under-11 Girls category and 4th position in the Under-13 Girls category. Her commendable performance across two age groups highlights her growing confidence and skill in the game.
PRINCIPALS' ROUNDTABLE ON POST-PANDEMIC ANXIETY AMONG STUDENTS BY CAREERS360
Principals' Roundtable On Post-Pandemic Anxiety Among Students by Careers360
The Covid-19 pandemic got with itself a plethora of challenges, one of the major ones being the back-and-forth between online and offline schooling for students.
The Principals' Roundtable On Post-Pandemic Anxiety Among Students addresses questions like How did children across age groups respond to this transition? What challenges did teachers face? How well are schools prepared for a similar situation arising in the future? ; in addition to many more.
On the Panel:
- Ms. Anju Wal – Director Principal, Shiv Nadar School Faridabad
- Ms. Veena Goel – Principal, Apeejay, Pitampura, Delhi
- Mr. Prakash Sahoo – Principal (Secondary School), Sai International School, Bhubaneshwar
- Ms. Alka Kapur – Principal, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi
Links to its coverage.
Ø YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7LK7JPjqwQ
Ø NDTV Education- https://www.ndtv.com/education/losses-and-gains-school-principals-discuss-impact-of-covid-on-children-at-careers360-roundtable
Ø Careers360 website- https://school.careers360.com/articles/principals-roundtable-on-post-pandemic-anxiety-among-students
Our Budding Scientist, Kshitij Goel
It's time to celebrate the achievement of our Budding Scientist, Kshitij Goel of grade 4, who has done us proud again with his yet another innovation in the field of Science.
NXP India, the largest R&D center of NXP Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd, conducted the Young Innovators Challenge back in August to challenge young minds to put their creativity and innovation to the around this year’s theme – ‘Let’s Fight COVID19 together’.
Kshitij, was the youngest innovator at the event and bagged the Special Jury Innovation Award as well as Audience Choice award in the junior category.
He came up with a breathing device ‘Sanjeevani, an automated bag valve mask that can act as a provisional ventilator machine for people suffering from acute respiratory diseases like Covid-19. It is basically a low cost ventilator which is relevant to the current pandemic.
Links from the Online portal of India Today and Aaj Tak acknowledging his achievements.
Glimpse of Kshitj, talking about the product. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebcDfdwZ1cU&feature=youtu.be
Congratulations Kshitij! We are proud of you!
Achievements in Joie de vivre S4 Cultural Festival by Senior School Students
The senior school students of Shiv Nadar Noida participated in the inter-school cultural festival - Joie de Vivre. Chickar International School (CIS) and the Institute for Career Studies (ICS) organised Season 4 of their signature Joie de Vivre festival which was conducted online.
The festival provided the students a unique platform to display their innate talent in the areas of design thinking, social awareness, team spirit and creativity under different categories.
The students from the Noida campus won the following positions and made us proud.
Mahika Tampi - first position in Story telling
Aarya Mahapatra - second position in Solo Dancing.
Barish Raman and Mannat Khan - first and second position respectively in Stand-Up-Comedy
Click here to see the performances