Winning teams and dignitaries during the Red Ribbon 3.0 Quiz National Finale held at Tetso College, Chümoukedima, on October 31.
Chümoukedima, October 31 (MExN): The national grand finale of the Red Ribbon 3.0 Quiz was held at Tetso College, Chümoukedima, bringing together young participants from across India to promote awareness and dialogue on HIV & AIDS prevention and youth health.
Team A from Telangana emerged as the champion, securing the first prize of Rs 1 lakh. Team D from Manipur took the second position and was awarded Rs 75,000, while Team B from Kerala won the third prize of Rs 50,000.
The event was graced by V Hekali Zhimomi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Director General of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), who addressed students and participants, calling them “champions, noble teachers, and students of Tetso College.”
“It gives me extreme pleasure to be here with you all in this vibrant college,” she said, extending her greetings and congratulating the winners and participants. “This event is not merely a competition. It is a celebration of knowledge and compassion. It is a powerful statement that the youth of India care deeply about creating a healthier, more informed, and more inclusive nation.”
Zhimomi emphasized that the youth are not just the future, but also “the present — the guiding force, the change, the conscience of our communities.” She said awareness, empathy, and informed action remain the most powerful tools in the fight against HIV & AIDS and in building a healthier society.
Highlighting India’s progress in the HIV response, she noted that while new infections have reduced and treatment access has expanded, much remains to be done, especially in reaching vulnerable populations. “Your learning, your curiosity, your compassion matters immensely,” she told the students. “Health is not built in hospitals alone. It is built in conversations, in classrooms, in youth clubs, in families, and in the courage to speak openly about topics that society sometimes avoids.”
Zhimomi underlined that the fight against HIV is “not just about medical treatment. It is about mindsets — replacing stigma with solidarity, silence with dialogue, and fear with compassion.”
She praised the efforts of NACO and state AIDS control societies for their work with adolescents through the Adolescence Education Programme, which has reached over 68,000 schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. She also commended the work of Red Ribbon Clubs, now numbering around 14,500 across the country, calling them “vibrant spaces where young people lead awareness campaigns, encourage voluntary blood donation, and promote safe and healthy behaviors.”
“You remind us that awareness is not just a formality but a responsibility,” she said. “And when that awareness is combined with compassion, courage, and creativity, change becomes unstoppable.”
Addressing the youth, she urged them to be “peer educators and friends who normalize discussions around testing and prevention for HIV,” and to be “the innovators who use technology and art to spread awareness.”
She thanked the teachers, college faculty, and Red Ribbon officers for their “tireless work behind the scenes” and lauded the organizational efforts of the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society under the leadership of Dr Amusekwesik.
“Let this finale not be the end of our journey but the beginning of a lifelong commitment to learn, to lead, and to lift others as we rise,” she said. “Together, let us build a future where every young person has the knowledge, confidence, and compassion to make informed choices — and where every life is lived with dignity, inclusion, and hope.”
