10 lakh kids to participate in Classmate Young Author Contest

Mumbai, Oct 21 (UNI) ITC Greetings, Gifting and Stationery Business announced the beginning of Classmate Young Author and Artist Contest 2007 -- an initiative to nurture the literary talents of youth across the country.

This year over 10 lakh children from 5000 schools are expected to participate in the contest which will conclude with the national finals in Mumbai in end January 2008.

Literary genius Ruskin Bond will head the national jury of the Classmate Young Author Contest and the winner will win a trip to Paris while Rupa will publish stories of all national finalists into a book to be edited by Ruskin Bond.

The top 40 paintings of the Classmate Young Artist Contest will also be exhibited at the national finals as part of an All India Painting Exhibition. The Contest was kick started across 250 schools in Mumbai and will finally cover 5000 schools in 34 cities across the country.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, ITC Greeting, Gifting and Stationery Business CEO Chand Das said, ''Launched in year 2003, this unique initiative has emerged as a much-awaited event on school campuses across the country and has grown each year.'' From a modest 7858 students from 800 schools across eight cities in the inaugural edition, the contest encompassed over two lakh students from 5000 schools across 34 cities in the 2006 edition.

Mithila Saraf from Utpal Sanghvi School, Mumbai, was the National Winner of the Classmate Young Author Contest 2006.

UNI