Ministry to announce results in two months

Ministry to announce results in two months
Islamabad: Ministry of Youth Affairs (MoYA) plans to announce the results of the second National Youth Essay Writing Competition in two months.

A ministry official said that the competition, announced on November 8, received good response from the youth. "The ministry is in the initial stages of registering the received entries after which the evaluation process will start," he said. The last date for the submission of essays was December 5.

This year, the essay topics were divided into two categories, based on the age of the participants. Category I was for the age group of 15-21 years, whereas Category II was for those above 22 years but less than 29 years.

Topics for the first category included 'Socio-cultural Factors for Solidarity of Pakistan', 'Education Reforms and Employment', 'Role of Youth in Nation Building' and 'Volunteerism for Social Change.' The second category had more specialised topics such as 'Clash of Civilisations: Myth or Reality', 'Global Warming and its Impact on Pakistan', 'Public Private Partnership for Quality Public Service Delivery' and 'Impact of Economic Growth on Poverty Reduction with Special reference to Pakistan'.

The ministry has also increased the prize money for the winners this year that now amounts to Rs50,000 from Rs20,000 of last year for the first position holder, Rs30,000 for the runner up and Rs20,000 for the third position holder.

"We are in the process of assessing the eligibility of the received essays," the official said adding that these essays would be sent to subject experts for assessment.

Talking about the criteria on which the essays would be judged, he said the writing should reflect analytical thinking and critical insight of the participant. "The judges will also look into how well-structured, focused and coherent the arguments are," he pointed out. The aspiring candidates were asked not to accede the limit of 2,000 words.

In addition to providing them an opportunity to express themselves, he said the activity is aimed at knowing the perception of the young generation about the challenges faced by the country. "It will also help in inculcating the youth's opinion in future policymaking."

Last year, the competition was announced in June. The rational behind organising the event in summer vacations was to involve the youth in constructive activities in their free time.

There were only four topics including 'Causes of Unemployment in Rural Areas', 'Role of Youth in Promotion of Civil Spirit and Courtesies', 'Plan of Action to Curb the Use of Tobacco in Youth' and 'Causes of Youth Crime and Remedies'. According to ministry sources, the activity proved to be a success last time, as they received 634 essays, majority of them from rural areas.