Tuba Hayat Khan wins 1st prize at National Declamation contest, Akshay Raut 2nd

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New Delhi : The two- day National Declamation Contest concluded here on January 25, 2019,  with Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Upma Chowdhry, awarding the cash prize and certificates to the winners. Tuba Hayat Khan from Madhya Pradesh was awarded first prize with cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a certificate while Akshay Raut from Maharashtra stood second and received Rs 1 lakh cash prize and a certificate. Third prize was given to Pranav Vilas Adhyapak from Karnataka. He received Rs 50,000 as prize money with a certificate. All other contestants  were given certificate of participation.

Secretary, Youth Affairs, Upma Chowdhry, in her valedictory address, said that the Ministry wants to listen the voice of youth and also wants to know what the next generation thinks. She said that India is going to become fourth largest economy in 2025 and before that India will be most populous nation. ” We have demographic dividend. This is window of opportunity for us,” she added. Ms Chowdhry congratulated all the participants for their whole hearted participation in the contest and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan for organising this mega event. The aim of the event is to strengthen the spirit of nationalism and patriotic feeling amongst youth.

The opening ceremony was inaugurated by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Information & Broadcasting, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore on January 24, 2019. The participants were adjudged by a jury comprising Smita Mishra, Advisor to Prasar Bharti, Mobin Zahra, Associate Professor, Delhi University, Priyanka Lamba, Associate Professor, MDU, Gurugram, Ravi Parashar, Senior Journalist, Vinod  Shukla, Senior Journalist, Surinder Singhal, retired Professor, and D J Singh, Senior Advisor to UGC, according to a PIB release.