Spanning from school classrooms to university lecture halls, the annual Pradyumna Bal Prativa Vikash Pratiyogita is back to discover and honour brilliant young minds across the state and nation.
Instituted by the prominent daily “Pragativadi” in memory of its founder, visionary leader, and fearless editor Pradyumna Bal, the talent hunt officially kicks off on September 15.
The competition is structured into four distinct age and academic tiers:
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Drawing Competition (Classes 1 to 4): Participants will tackle the creative theme “4 Art in One Frame” (or Four art in one frame), capturing four specific subjects: the Father of the Nation, Saheed Bhagat Singh, The President of India, and My Favourite Toy.
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Junior Essay (Classes 5 to 8): Writers will explore the classical theme “Janani Janmabhumischa Swargadapiy Gariyasi” or its English counterpart, “My Motherland.”
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Medium Essay (Class 9 to Higher Secondary / +2): Competitors will address the thought-provoking topic “Sikhya Hin Swadhinata” or “Education is Freedom.”
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Senior Essay (Graduation to Post-Graduation): Advanced students will tackle critical contemporary issues through the theme “Prakrutira Kopa O Aamar Dayitwa” or “Anger of Nature and Our Responsibility.”
Though anchored in Odisha, the competition extends a warm invitation to students nationwide. Building on past success, strong participation is anticipated from major educational hubs including New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Patna, Kharagpur, Ahmednagar, and Pune.
Winners will be celebrated on November 7 during the grand state-level Pradyumna Bal Jayanti celebrations in Bhubaneswar. To reward excellence, the competition committee has announced lucrative cash prizes for each category: Rs 10,000 for first place, Rs 5,000 for second place, Rs 3,000 for third place, and Rs 2,000 for special jury awards.
According to competition coordinator Lalitendu Patnaik, complete guidelines and rules are outlined in the official advertisements published in Pragativadi.
