Focus on protecting nature in PACE annual essay contest
NEWDELHI: With pollution dominating headlines almost every day, about 150 school students on Tuesday made the most of the opportunity to channel their thoughts into essays on the theme ‘Nature protects if she is protected’.
The students were participants in an annual essay-writing competition organised by the Hindustan Times Partnerships for Action in Education (HT-PACE) in association with the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) at Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The students were divided into two categories — the juniors, comprising students of Classes 4 and 5, and the seniors, comprising students of Classes 6, 7 and 8.
Eight winners will be declared in each of the two sections.
At the outset, NMNH director Dr Naaz Rizvi encouraged participants to relax and enjoy the chance to express themselves.
The participants evidently took her words to heart.
While Laavya Malhotra of Class 8, DPS, Mathura Road, called the subject interesting,
LS RATHORE, former director general of the India Meteorological Department
Ankitha Anand of Class 6, Delhi International School, Dwarka, and Nandini Goyal of Class 8, Amity International, Sector 46, Gurugram, expressed the view that even though they did feel pressured initially, words flowed effortlessly very soon.
Kashvi Singh of Class 8 and Satrajit Bhattacharya of Class 5, both of the Khaitan School, as well as Aditi Mehr of Class 5, Mayoor School, Noida, said they would like to take part in the competition next year as well.
Annapoorna Sehgal, head-education, PACE, said, “I greatly value our long-standing association with the NMNH. The event helps sensitise students to the importance of conservation.”
Anu Kapoor, who teaches at Bal Bharati Public School, Pitampura, said the subject was chosen for the competition for its relevance so that students are made aware of it.
“Given the rampant misuse of natural resources in recent years, the event encourages students to use natural resources judiciously,” Pooja Verma, a teacher at DPS, Vasant Kunj, said.