Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the students should be motivated to participate in extracurricular activities for allround personality development, which is requirement of modern time.He was addressing the Band Competition Northern Zone 2019-20 at the Ridge Shimla organized by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India with Himachal Pradesh Samagra Shiksha Shimla as Coordinating State. Chief Minister said that new programme ‘Samagra Shiksha’ was launched by the Government in the year 2017 to encourage students to come forward for participating in the extracurricular activities. He said that the event organized today was outstanding and the students performed exceptionally well. He said that the hidden talent of students should come forward so that they could perform better in the respective fields. Principal Secretary Education K.K. Pant welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries present on the occasion. He said that nine teams of five states were participating in the event. He said that first three winners of the event would go to next round to be organized at New Delhi. Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, wife of Chief Minister Dr. Sadhana Thakur, Mayor Shimla Municipal Corporation Kusum Sadret, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Amit Kashyap, Project Director Samagra Shiksha Ashish Kalio, Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.