Press Release

Felicitation Ceremony Honours the Winners of the 1st Ukraine-India Students’ Writing Contest 2024 “With Love to Ukraine”

February 4, 2025, New Delhi

For the first time in the history of bilateral relations, the 1st Ukraine-India Students’ Writing Contest 2024 “With Love to Ukraine – З любов'ю до України” successfully brought young minds from all over India together.

The East European Development Institute (EEDI) and PT GLOBAL EDU, two organizations, joined their efforts to implement the 1st Ukraine-India Students’ Writing Contest 2024 for schoolchildren “With Love to Ukraine – З любов'ю до України”. The Contest is implemented as part of EEDI project “Ukraine and South Asia: Open Dialogues”.

The Embassy of Ukraine in India facilitated the liaison and communication and took part in all major project activities, including the Felicitation Ceremony, which took place on February 3, 2025 at Mount Abu Public School, Rohini, New Delhi.

The contest was organized along two age groups: Junior and Senior. The Junior group included participants from grades 6 to 8, with nomination categories “Ukraine in my Dream” and “To my Ukrainian Friend”; while the Senior group had participants from 9 to 12 grades under two other nomination categories: “The Beauty of Ukrainian Culture” and “For a Strong Ukraine-India Friendship”.

The response was overwhelming. More than 950 entries were submitted from more than 200 schools of India. All essays were screened in Ukraine, involving a three-tier process, organized by the EEDI. All essays were marked with unique Student Reference Numbers (SRN), so that the jury shortlisting or checking could not identify the author of the essay, thus eliminating any bias in assessment.

As result, we congratulate 15 winners in all categories, including 2 Grand Prix in Senior and Junior groups. Principals and teachers were also awarded with certificates of appreciation. The certificates were distributed by the Ambassador of Ukraine to India, Mr. CN Patel, a very special guest from Ukraine – veteran Pavlo Kharatin, nickname “Hightower”, and our special little helpers Dominika and Damir.

List of the winners of the 1st Ukraine-India Students’ Writing Contest 2024 “With Love to Ukraine”
Name of Student	Ranking	Class	School Name	City
Junior Group (Class 6 to 8)
Theme: Ukraine in My Dream
Saira Singh	1st Place	7	Billabong High International School	Kanpur
Slok Saha	2nd Place	6	Hem Sheela Model School	Durgapur
Arsha Bhatt	3rd Place	8	Mount Abu Public School	Delhi
Theme: To my Ukrainian Friend
Ikshita Bisht	1st Place	8	The S.D. Vidya School	Ambala Cantt
Kashvi Singh Yadav	2nd Place	5	Billabong High International School	Kanpur
Navya Gupta	3rd Place	8	The S.D. Vidya School	Ambala Cantt
Naima Dutta	Grand Prix (Junior)	8	Mount Abu Public School	New Delhi
Senior Group (Class 9 to 12)
Theme: Ukraine – India Friendship
Amyra Bansal	1st Place	12	Mount Abu Public School	New Delhi
Ishan Bist	2nd Place	9	MM Public School	Pitampura
Angel Elizabeth Renny	3rd Place	11	Presidency School Bengaluru North	Bengaluru
Theme: The Beauty of Ukrainian Culture
Sachi Chaturvedi	1st Place	12	Presidency School Bengaluru North	Bengaluru
Garima	2nd Place	10	Vikas Bharati Public School	New Delhi
Tanishka Johar	3rd Place	9	Mount Abu Public School	New Delhi
Neeharika Saboo	3rd Place	12	The Shri Ram School, Aravali	Gurugram
Cherita T S	Grand Prix (Senior)	12	Presidency School Bengaluru North	Bengaluru

Addressing the winners Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk, Ambassador of Ukraine to India, praised the participants and organizers for their dedication to deepening understanding and strengthening Ukraine-India ties. Ambassador also highlighted the importance of building people-to-people connections from childhood, ensuring that Ukraine and India continue to grow closer.

Ambassador of Ukraine also shed light on the harsh realities faced by Ukrainian children due to the ongoing Russian aggression: “While we are celebrating your remarkable achievements here, Ukrainian children were robbed of safety and sense of normalcy. Many children lost their parents and relatives due to constant bombing, thousands have been wounded. Millions of Ukrainian kids have been displaced within Ukraine, more than 20 thousand were forcibly transferred to Russia and their identity is being erased. That’s why we implement important initiatives like “Bring Kids Back UA” to bring our children to where they belong. Thousands of schools have been damaged or destroyed. Stable and consistent education now becomes a dream. This is reality Ukrainian children live in. But, great initiatives like this Contest bring hope to all of us. We see your participation as support and solidarity during these hard times. And this makes us stronger while we defend our freedom and sovereignty.”

The distinguished Contest Jury and Dr. Mridula Ghosh joined the event online to congratulate the winners. Members of the Jury Dr. Yulia Fil and Dr. Alla Shuhai appreciated remarkable effort and creativity of the students. While many works stood out for their originality and depth, the Jury also noted an important aspect – the challenges faced by the use of AI by participants in such contests.

Dr. Mridula Ghosh, Chair of EEDI and Head of Contest Jury, Associate Professor of International Relations at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, who conceptualized the contest and its guidelines, said, “Children are our future. They are future leaders, opinion makers, entrepreneurs, diplomats and analysts. They will change the world. So, this project addressed the critical need of enhancing knowledge about Ukraine and aimed at raising awareness among children on such universal topics as culture, amity and imagination.”

Founder and CEO of PT GLOBAL EDU, Mr. CN Patel said, “this is a unique opportunity for children not only to know about Ukraine, but also for enhancing Ukraine’s public diplomacy.”

The event also underscored the growing ties between Ukraine and India. The Ambassador highlighted the historic visit of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Ukraine in August 2024, during which both countries signed the Program of Cultural Cooperation for 2024-2028, paving the way for collaborations in dance, music, literature, museum exchanges etc. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish a Ukrainian Studies Centre in New Delhi and Indian universities.

To make the Ceremony even more engaging and insightful, Ukrainian artist Ms. Olga Syrovatko, who is residing in Delhi, conducted a masterclass on Petrykivka - UNESCO-recognized Ukrainian folk art tradition. Additionally, a selection of short films on Ukrainian culture and history was screened, offering both students and parents deeper insights on Ukraine. A special highlight of the event was the opportunity to savour traditional Ukrainian delicacies, specially prepared by Ukrainian baker and confectioner Ms. Julia Danylenko.

As the event concluded, the Ambassador left the winners with a powerful message: “You are the Bharat of tomorrow. You hold the key to the future of Viksit Bharat 2047”. He also invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s words, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” alongside a quote from Ukraine’s beloved national poet, Kobzar, Taras Shevchenko:

“Learn,

read,

and study foreign wisdom,

but do not neglect your own.”

We express our sincere gratitude to PT Global Edu and personally Mr. CN Patel, East European Development Institute and personally Dr. Mridula Ghosh, and the respected Contest Jury for their vital contribution and insights. You did an amazing team work to make this project a reality.

We are also deeply grateful to Mount Abu Public School and personally to the Principal Ms. Jyoti Arora and dedicated team of the school, including teachers and students, for generosity, warm hospitality and beautifully prepared and executed performances during the Felicitation Ceremony.

We thank all the winners and their parents, teachers and principals for finding time to come to Delhi for this remarkable event.

We thank all who joined the occasion online, including students and teachers from Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Languages No. 1. Your participation added to the atmosphere of friendship between Ukraine and India.

Together we made it really unforgettable experience and we look forward to the Contest 2025 and further partnership and friendship with all!