Desh Apnayen and Praja Foundation launch ‘Prajantantra’ contest for students on the occasion of Republic Day 2021

Mumbai: On the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day, Desh Apnayen Sahayog Foundation and Praja Foundation are pleased to present ‘Prajatantra: An Inter-School Group Presentation Contest’. The contest aims to create deeper awareness on issues related to democracy and governance among students, and help shape future leaders who become torchbearers of the ideals laid down by the Constitution of India.

This initiative is part of the larger mission of Desh Apnayen, which is to create ACTIZENS – alert, informed and active citizens. As part of the contest, students will have to compare India with two other democratic countries on certain parameters and present their analysis and insights. Only school principals or teachers can register their school team for the contest and participating students can be from any of these grades – Class 7 to 10. The last date to register is 16th January 2021 and there is no entry fee. The Grand Finale of the Contest will be held on 29th January 2021 and can be viewed virtually either through Zoom or through Desh Apnayen’s YouTube channel.

In addition to the contest, Desh Apnayen is also hosting an online talk on democracy by Dr. Rupak Dattagupta and an orientation session about the contest on 13th January from 2 to 3:30 pm on Zoom. The registration link is www.bit.ly/prajatantra

Commenting on this initiative, Mr. Vallabh Bhanshali, Founder and Chief Mentor of Desh Apnayen (and the ENAM Group), said, “We need to move to Democracy 2.0 in which passive citizens evolve into ACTIZENS. There is no force stronger or more resilient than a collective ownership, the first step of which is collective awareness – alert and educated minds and passionate hearts. It is wonderful to see students participating actively in such initiatives. We encourage schools from across the country to come forward and partner with Desh Apnayen so that we can collectively shape many more ACTIZENS.”

Speaker’s Bio:

Dr. Rupak Dattagupta is Associate Professor of Political Science, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi for the last three decades and author of two books, ‘Global Politics’ (2019) and ‘Classes and Elites in the Third World’ (2001).