Thank you to all who participated in our 5th Annual Youth Essay Competition.
We were gratified to receive so many well researched, thoughtful, compassionate, and compelling essays; covering topics as diverse as equity and inclusion, malnutrition, waste management, economic development, mental health, nuclear power, democracy, and more. It was difficult for the judges to narrow to just a few, and they extend their appreciation to all who contributed.
Winners of the competition will present their ideas at a national gathering of philanthropists, business leaders, and nonprofit executives, hosted by Indiaspora and Dasra, in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 25, 2024. We are grateful to our sponsors from the Sarva Mangal Family Trust and Sehgal Foundation for the support of this important initiative.
Nirmal Melam, The Digital Divide and its Effects
High School Winner, Grade 9,, West Des Moines, Iowa
“During a recent trip to rural India, I witnessed firsthand the lack of reliable internet in many homes. This experience motivated me to use the competition as a platform to highlight and address this issue. The process has deepened my understanding of the digital divide and has motivated me to help drive meaningful change. I am thankful for this competition because it allowed me to deep dive into this topic and to share my views and findings with a community that wants to make a change in this world.”
Nirmal will be gifting his $1000 award to Manaloni Manishi Foundation. Read his essay here.
Caroline Praveen, Hope for Indian Mental Health
High School Runner-Up, Grade 11, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“We see those looks of disapproval or hesitancies to seek treatment in India today because about 75% of Indians report having negative opinions of the mentally ill. I think that the process of writing this essay illuminated a variety of aspects about Indian mental health that I would have never noticed without IPA’s competition.”
Caroline will be gifting her $500 award to Care for Children, an organization she has been involved with in the past. Read her essay here.
Arya Goyal, Disabilities and Discrimination
High School Runner-up, Grade 11, Scarsdale, New York
“Investing in people who are differently abled and neurodivergent will allow India to unlock the immense potential of millions of its citizens, fostering a society where everyone contributes to a brighter, more inclusive future. Together, we can turn challenges into opportunities, paving the way for a stronger, more dynamic nation."
Arya will be gifting her $500 award to Ekal Vidyalaya. Read her essay here.
Arhaan Iyer, Women’s Educational Disparity
High School Finalist, Grade 9, Dallas, Texas
“I love writing because writing allows me to express my thoughts, ideas, and emotions in a meaningful way. I joined this contest as a unique way to push my writing skills and think critically about an issue that I’m passionate about. Through my research, I have come to understand the profound challenges faced by girls in India who are forced into child marriage and early pregnancy, often with little chance of pursuing a career, if any opportunity arises at all. This issue resonates deeply with me, and I am committed to being part of the solution”
Read Arhaan’s essay here.
Ayushi Agarwal, Child Labor and Educational Access
High School Finalist, Grade 9, Oak Park California
“When I read the topic for IPA’s essay contest, I was extremely eager to express my thoughts on child labor. I was in India during the time of the competition and I witnessed numerous young children toiling diligently to earn wages - and I put myself in that situation. Immersing myself in this perspective led me to the realization that many financially disadvantaged children are deprived of a proper childhood—an essential phase often regarded as the most cherished time of one’s life. Recognizing that countless children are denied this fundamental right evoked a sense of urgency in me to advocate for change.”
Read Ayushi’s essay here.
Sia Lakshmi Sampson, Health Care Access
Middle School Winner, Grade 7, New Market, Maryland
Even though I realized there is a large number of Indian doctors in the US, I did not know how high those numbers were, and that just emphasized the staff shortage problem in India. I hope my essay is a reminder to Indian healthcare students and providers here in the US, how valuable it would be to share their skills to improve lives in India as well. People in the US cannot totally solve India’s government funding shortage or staffing shortage to improve their healthcare system. But medical volunteering can be a missing piece of the puzzle that strengthens Indians’ access to healthcare.
Sia will be gifting her $1000 award to Aid India’s SATHI program. Read her essay here.
Aditya Munish, A Call for Gender Equality
Middle School Runner-Up, Grade 7, Little Elm, Texas
I entered the IPA Essay Competition to share my thoughts on the topic of Gender Inequality. This contest was the perfect way for me to share my emotions truthfully and reach an organization that had the ability to address this pressing problem. I wanted to speak out about the hardships women face, not only in India, but all around the world. I truly believe that education can expand and open the minds of people in order to solve the problem of Gender Inequality.
Aditya will be gifting his $500 award to Vibha. Read his essay here.
Rishaan Sharath, India’s Food Waste Crisis
Middle School Finalist, Grade 6, Bargersville, Indiana
Wasting food is destroying our environment. If you have leftovers, just put them in the fridge and eat them later. Don't throw them away. That's bad for us and our dear earth. We should be taking steps to lower carbon emissions and doing what we can to have a healthy earth.
Read Rishaan’s essay here.
Swati Premkumar, Bringing Light to India’s Sanitation Problem
Middle School Finalist, Grade 8, Bothell Washington
“There are so many problems India is facing today, and I care about all of them, but poor sanitation is one that has stood out to me. It’s something I have seen first-hand and something that I truly want to fix. I believe writing about this problem is one step in fixing this issue, by raising awareness.”
Read Swati’s essay here.
More on the Youth Essay Competition
The competition was launched in February 2020 as a vehicle to encourage philanthropic thought and action among American youth with ties to, or interest in, India. Now in its fourth year, the competition has brought dedicated and talented youth together with leading philanthropic organizations in what we hope will be a lifelong commitment to advancing development and poverty reduction programs in India.
The 2024 essays were written in response to the following prompt: Which developmental issue in India do you feel is the most pressing and why? How can we as individuals and as groups be a part of the solution?
To read the top essays from the 2023 competition, click here.
To read the top essays from the 2022 competition, click here.
To read the top essays from the 2021 competition, click here.
To read the top essays from the 2020 competition, click here.
Watch for the announcement of our 6th Annual Essay Competition in February 2025.
To learn about the development of IPA and its role in advancing collaboration among leading NGOs in India, click here.