AIIMS Director Encourages Young Participants
The competition was inaugurated by Col. Shashikanth Thumma, Director of AIIMS Mangalagiri, in the presence of Sibi Sekhar, Director of SIP Academy India, Uma Swaminathan, Head – New Franchisee Acquisition, Praveen E.G., Regional Business Head (South) and Head – International Acquisition, and Jabeer Baig, State Head (Andhra Pradesh), SIP Academy India.
Addressing the gathering, Col. Thumma described the participants as “live supercomputers” and praised their remarkable calculation abilities.
“You are human calculators, solving sums faster than calculators. This programme develops skills to solve not only mathematics problems but also life’s challenges,” he said.
He added that mental arithmetic builds life skills beyond mathematics, helping children improve concentration, confidence, discipline and problem-solving abilities.
SIP Academy Expands to the United States
Speaking at the event, Sibi Sekhar said mental arithmetic has become even more relevant in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
He noted that while AI can generate answers, children still need strong cognitive abilities, logical thinking, concentration and memory to succeed.
Announcing a major milestone, he revealed that SIP Academy India has expanded its operations to the United States, initially serving the Indian diaspora, including a large Telugu community, before reaching the wider American market.
SIP Academy currently operates more than 1,100 centres across India, training nearly 1.9 lakh children.
The organisation plans to expand to 2,000 centres nationwide and increase enrolment to three lakh students over the next three years.
In Andhra Pradesh, Uma Swaminathan said the academy currently runs 25 centres and plans to double the number to 50 during the same period.
One of the highlights of the competition was the “Concentration Round,” where participants solved mental arithmetic problems despite loud music, cheering and other distractions.
The exercise demonstrated children’s ability to maintain focus and accuracy even in challenging environments.
The SIP Regional Prodigy serves as the qualifying event for the national championship.
Participants competed in mental arithmetic, abacus calculations, multiplication, division, visual arithmetic, speed and accuracy through a series of timed tests.
In some categories, children solved up to 300 arithmetic problems in just 11 minutes, showcasing exceptional memory and calculation speed.
The Andhra Pradesh winners will now advance to the National SIP Prodigy 2026, scheduled to be held in Kochi in November, where around 5,000 children from across the country are expected to compete.
According to Jabeer Baig, around 7,000 students are currently enrolled in SIP Abacus programmes across Andhra Pradesh through centres in Vijayawada, Guntur, Mangalagiri, Tirupati, Chittoor, Anantapur, Hindupur, Kadiri, Tadepalli, Tadepalligudem, Rajahmundry and Kakinada.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews
