7th Print Olympiad 2026 – North Zone (First Round) Successfully Conducted

02 March 2026: 7th Edition of Print Olympiad 2026 – First Round (North Zone) was successfully conducted on 16th February in virtual mode under the aegis of the Offset Printers Association (OPA). The event brought together students, academicians, industry experts and dignitaries from across the region on a virtual platform.

Inaugural Session
The programme commenced at 11:00 AM with a call to order and an introduction to the concept of Print Olympiad by Prof. Madhura Mahajan (Chief Coordinator, Print Olympiad). The vision and objectives of the Olympiad were highlighted, emphasizing its role as India’s premier talent hunt in printing and packaging education. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. (Mrs.) Madhura Mahajan shared that the 7th Print Olympiad 2026 – North Zone (First Round), organized by the Offset Printers Association (OPA), witnessed enthusiastic participation from 10 institutions, including 4 diploma and 6 degree colleges, reflecting the region’s growing academic strength in printing and packaging education. Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra, Project Chairman, addressed the gathering and introduced OPA, underscoring its commitment to strengthening industry-academia collaboration. He mentioned that the national-level Print Olympiad competition has helped many institutes across the country attract students to the field of printing. He blessed the students, stating that joining the event itself is like winning, as participation is the first step toward success. 

Prof. Madhura then introduced the regional coordinators: Prof. Kanwardeep Sharma from Kurukshetra University, Haryana; Prof. Dr. Shammi Mehra from Central University of Haryana (CUH); and Prof. Dr. Bijender from Guru Jambeshwar University (GJU). She acknowledged their contribution in conducting Round 1. The coordinators extended their best wishes to the students for the Print Olympiad.

Dr. Bijender introduced the Guest of Honour, Prof. Vikas Garg, Professor and Head of the Department of Printing and Packaging Technology at CUH. He also introduced Dr. Tanweer Alam, Additional Director at the Indian Institute of Packaging, New Delhi. Dr. Tanweer spoke about how the print industry has evolved from a traditional industry to a technology-driven sector, integrating digital printing, label printing, and branding in packaging. He provided an overview of the packaging competitions scheduled in March at IIP and encouraged students to participate and showcase their talent. Later, the jury members were introduced: Prof. V. K. Bharti, Retired Professor at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication; K. B. Nagpal, Retired Technical Head at PUSA Polytechnic; Surinder Jain; Dr. Vandana Gupta, Chairperson of the Printing and Packaging Technology Department at GJU, Haryana; and M. N. Pandey, Founder of Avantika Printers, New Delhi. They expressed their happiness in being associated with the Print Olympiad and wished the students success.

Dr. Bijender then introduced the Chief Guest of the programme, Prof. (Dr.) R. K. Anayath, currently the Vice Chancellor of Haryana State University of Sanskrit and former Vice Chancellor of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (2017-2023). A distinguished academician in Print & Media Technology, he has received global recognition, including the Global Academic Excellence Award from Printing Industries of America and major honours from the All India Federation of Master Printers. He was granted the honorary rank of Colonel by the Government of India in 2020 and served as Colonel Commandant (NCC PHHP&C Directorate), reflecting his leadership in academia and national service. A recipient of multiple international awards, visiting scholar abroad, and member of several national academic and standards bodies, he continues to contribute significantly to higher education, research, and the Indian print industry. In his address, Dr. Anayath congratulated Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra for his visionary leadership in providing a platform for students and organizing a technical competition in printing. He mentioned that print has transformed significantly and that Artificial Intelligence now supports better decision-making and improves print accuracy. He emphasized that students should think scientifically, highlighting falsifiability as a key principle of science. He encouraged students to treat competitiveness as a learning platform and use such opportunities to build a clear career path.

The Chief Guest, Prof. (Dr.) Rajendra Kumar Anayath, after his keynote address, officially declared the competition open.

Dr. TKS Lakshmi Priya, Technical Coordinator, conducted the attendance marking and explained the rules and instructions for the online MCQ test. The Online MCQ First Round then commenced for eligible North Zone students. The results were evaluated by the esteemed jury and declared by Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra, Project Chairman.

Four students topped Round 1 ….
Kirti Pal (Central University of Haryana)
Nitish Sah (Guru Jambeshwar University)
Manish (Guru Jambeshwar University)
and Tarun Balwan (Central University of Haryana)

OPA and the Print Olympiad team congratulate the winners and extend their best wishes for Round 2, which will be held at Kurukshetra University, Haryana. Programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Anubhava Shiksharthi, Advisor, Print Olympiad, expressing gratitude to the Chief Guest, Guests of Honour, jury members, coordinators, institutions, participants and the organizing team.