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India Philanthropy Alliance announces Essay Competition winners
The 5th annual event connects inspiring young voices with leading nonprofits addressing change in India.
The competition highlights insightful perspectives from young people on critical developmental issues facing India. / Facebook/India Philanthropy Alliance
The India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), a US-based coalition of 20 nonprofit, philanthropic, and charitable organizations focused on India, has announced the winners of its 5th Annual Youth Essay Competition.
The competition highlights insightful perspectives from young people on critical developmental issues facing India. Launched in 2020, the Youth Essay Competition aims to inspire philanthropic thought and action among youth, while fostering future leaders committed to serving the common good.
This year's prompt asked participants to address the question: “Which developmental issue in India do you feel is most pressing and why?” The goal was to encourage students to explore lesser-known challenges and provide solutions from a global perspective, including how Americans can play a role.
Winners and Finalists
- The 2024 competition's winners, runners-up, and finalists were:
- High School Winner: Nirmal Melam, Grade 9, Des Moines, Iowa
- High School Runners-up: Arya Goyal, Grade 11, Scarsdale, New York; and Caroline Praveen, Grade 11, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- High School Finalists: Arhaan Iyer, Grade 9, Dallas, Texas; and Ayushi Agarwal, Grade 9, Oak Park, California
- Middle School Winner: Sia Lakshmi Sampson, Grade 7, New Market, Maryland
- Middle School Runner-up: Aditya Munish, Grade 8, Little Elm, Texas
- Middle School Finalists: Rishaan Sharath, Grade 6, Bargersville, Indiana; and Swati Premkumar, Grade 8, Bothell, Washington
Essay Topics and Insights
The essays covered a wide range of topics, including mental health, educational disparity, child labor, food waste, sanitation, gender discrimination, and access to healthcare.
High school winner Nirmal Melam wrote about the digital divide, and he spent part of his summer installing solar panels in an Indian school to ensure consistent internet access.
Runner-up Caroline Praveen expressed her excitement, stating, "I find it surreal that my ideas and opinions as a high school student are being seriously taken into consideration by such a high-impact organization. It makes me feel that I can actually be the change that I so desperately want to see."
Another high school runner-up, Arya Goyal, emphasized inclusivity, "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."
Middle school winner Sia Lakshmi Sampson, who aspires to be a medical doctor, focused on the potential of medical volunteers 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," she said.
Aditya Munish, the middle school runner-up, wrote about gender inequality, drawing from personal experiences. "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," he shared.
Winners will present their ideas at a high-impact Philanthropy Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Oct. 25. The summit will bring together business leaders, philanthropists, and nonprofit executives to discuss and address critical issues facing India. Additionally, winners will direct a $1,000 grant to a charity of their choice, while runners-up will direct $500 to a charity.
Jay Sehgal, vice-chair of IPA and one of the competition sponsors, expressed the organization's pride in the program, "We are gratified to see this inspiring program mature and witness so many young change-makers feeling empowered to take action as a result of this competition. We all benefit when we invest in young people and work together to ensure a brighter future."
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