Two students from the Covai region have won prizes in the state-level final of the Thirukkural Speech Competition organised by Shriram Ilakkiya Kazhagam, a literary initiative of the Shriram Group, a leading financial services group in India.
Shriram Ilakkiya Kazhagam has been conducting the state-level Thirukkural Speech Competition for school and college students across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry every year since 1988.
The competition is conducted in three categories: Junior (Classes 6–8), Senior (Classes 9–12) and College. This year, a total of 5,620 students participated in the competition.
In the Junior Category, Karnish, a student of Moolathurai Panchayat Union Middle School, Sirumugai, Coimbatore, won the third prize. In the College Category, Ashwin Annamalai, a student of Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, won the second prize, bringing laurels to the Kovai region.
The quarter-final and semi-final rounds were conducted in July and August this year across 12 centres: Chennai, Vellore, Tambaram, Puducherry, Salem, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Coimbatore and Erode.
The final round was held recently in Chennai, with 36 contestants participating. The finalists comprised 12 winners from each category, with one finalist representing each of the 12 centres.
The state-level winners in the three categories are as follows:
Junior Category:
First Prize: Manjushree, Vengitasamy Naidu Middle School, Idayankulam, Virudhunagar (Madurai Centre).
Second Prize: Harisharan, Velammal Vidyalaya, Vanagaram, Chennai (Chennai Centre).
Third Prize: Karnish, Moolathurai Panchayat Union Middle School (Coimbatore Centre).
Senior Category:
First Prize: Varsha, Shemford Futuristic School, Chidambaram (Puducherry Centre).
Second Prize: Yazhini, Sethu Bhaskara Higher Secondary School, Pudur, Ambattur, Chennai (Chennai Centre).
Third Prize: Panimalar Bharathi, Maxwell Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Thanjavur (Thanjavur Centre).
College Category:
First Prize: Santhoshkumar, E.S. College of Arts and Science, Krishnagiri (Vellore Centre).
Second Prize: Ashwin Annamalai, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, Erode (Coimbatore Centre).
Third Prize: Srinidhi, A.V.A. College (Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai (Tiruvarur Centre).
The first, second and third prize winners in each category received cash awards of Rs. 15,000, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 7,500, respectively, along with shields and certificates.
