Tejas '24
The First Indic Book Competition
Chapter Two — Why These Books
Non-fiction and fiction, written by contemporary authors, grounded in Indic knowledge — across geography, vaccination, mathematics, medicine, history, philosophy, economics, sustainability, politics, and more. Would this equip a new generation with an entirely different lens to view the world?
Over 100 teams said yes.
They read 4 books. Engaged with authors. Uncovered ancient wisdom. Found new role models. Found their tribe. And began to understand what is genuinely different about Indic thought.
What exactly was the old world looking for when it took on hazardous journeys across treacherous high seas and oceans to reach India? Was it just spices?
Chapter Three
The Books
Eight titles, split across two cohorts — each chosen to hand readers a genuinely different lens.
Shitala
A modern Indian family story built around a startling premise: vaccination didn't originate in the West — the goddess Shitala and centuries-old smallpox inoculation predate European medicine by generations.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
A biography reframed as a leadership guide — practical lessons in strategy, discipline, and decision-making drawn from Shivaji Maharaj's life.
The Imperishable Seed
How the decimal system, trigonometry, and calculus were developed centuries earlier by Indian mathematicians — and how that lineage was written out of the story.
The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean
How the Indian Ocean connected Africa, Arabia, India, and Southeast Asia for millennia — and quietly shaped the course of world history.
Ramayana Unravelled
A close reading of Valmiki's original Ramayana — Rama's exile, Sita's agency, Ravana's downfall — through the lens of dharma, not modern assumption.
Together
The former U.S. Surgeon General's case that loneliness is a public health crisis — and what the science of human connection says about rebuilding community.
Brief History of Science in India
A survey of India's scientific contributions from the Vedic era to today — and how colonial-era narratives minimized that history.
Draupadi
The Mahabharata's central war through Draupadi's eyes — reclaiming her from cliché and portraying her as the empress and strategist she was.
Chapter Four
The Qualifying Round
Six formats, six ways to turn reading into something you make.
YouTube Shorts
A 30–60 second video based on one of the prompts provided.
Podcast
A 5–10 minute podcast based on one of the prompts provided.
GenZ Speak
Convey the prompt to your GenZ peers, in any format.
Memefy This
Create a meme on a given prompt.
Booklet Me
Explore a given prompt in a booklet.
Spot It
Spot the difference between Indic and contemporary dominant thought.
Chapter Five
The Finale
Three days that turned five finalist teams — and every participant who showed up — into something bigger than a competition.
Georgia Tech · Atlanta
Three Days in Atlanta
June 14–16, 2024 · Top 5 teams advanced from the qualifying round to compete live
Three Finale Rounds
Jeopardy
A live trivia showdown testing how deep finalists really went into their books.
Just-3-Minutes
Make your case, tell your story — in exactly three minutes, live in front of judges.
Act-It-Out
A live performance round bringing a scene or theme from the books to the stage.
Expert Sessions
Held during both the qualifying round and the finale — real working professionals coaching participants on their craft.
YouTube Shorts
Rewa Rawat
Prominent content creator / influencer
Podcast
Sunanda Vashisth
International podcaster
GenZ
Aditya Patwardhan
Hollywood director
Booklet Me
Saiswaroopa Iyer
Bestselling author, 5 books
Internship Fair
Every participant at the finale — finalist or not — got access to an internship fair featuring 20+ recruiters, not just the five teams who made it to the stage.
Author Access
One-on-one conversations and fireside chats with the very authors whose books participants had just spent months reading.
From the Finale
Finale performances and author talks, filmed live in Atlanta. Tap a card to watch on YouTube.
Chapter Six
Winners
Challenge Toppers
YouTube Shorts
Podcast
GenZ Speak
Memefy This
Booklet Me
Spot It
Chapter Seven
Winning Entries
Chapter Eight
The Authors
Eight authors whose research shaped the 2024 reading list.
Mitra Desai
Shitala
Shivaprasad Mantri
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Bhaskar Kamble
The Imperishable Seed
Sanjeev Sanyal
Indian Ocean
Ami Ganatra
Ramayana Unravelled
Vivek Murthy
Together
P.A. Sabareesh
Brief History of Science in India
Saiswaroopa Iyer
Draupadi
Chapter Nine
By the Numbers
From California to New Hampshire, Tejas '24 reached readers across the country in its very first year.
Participants by State
+ MA, IN, IL, CT (5 each) · NH, FL, CO (3 each) · AZ (2) · NY, MD, AR (1 each)
Chapter Ten
Voices from Year One
Since my daughter registered for Tejas Reads, we have almost read the books as a family. The books became a part of our dinner table, long walk, and grandparents' phone call discussions.
The books they read were amazing fodder for thought and provoked extremely engaging conversations at our dinner table almost every day. The DDA conference in Atlanta was the icing on the cake!
I want to thank Tejas for the opportunity to think critically and creatively about books that inspired in me the richness of Indic civilization. I cannot wait to see DCF grow Tejas each year.
I enjoyed being part of a very authentic Indic competition. Reading the chosen books has altered me on a fundamental level and fast-tracked my journey on the path of dharma.
This platform provides a very unique way to address the problem of the new generation losing touch with their culture. I feel enabled to be an ambassador of my culture.
Advice from an alumna
"While going through the book, don't memorize facts you think will help you in the competition — sink into each bit of knowledge, process it, even read it again. This is how you'll carry the most from this experience into your future." — Ishana Datusalia
Tejas '27 is Coming
Three years in, and just getting started
Join the interest list for Tejas '27, or share this story of Year One with someone who'd love it.
